Atomic scale electronic structure of the ferromagnetic semiconductor Cr2Ge2Te6

Cr2Ge2Te6 is an intrinsic ferromagnetic semiconductor with van der Waals type layered structure, thus represents a promising material for novel electronic and spintronic devices. Here we combine scanning tunneling microscopy and first-principles calculations to investigate the electronic structure of Cr2Ge2Te6. Tunneling spectroscopy reveals a surprising large energy level shift and change of energy gap size across the ferromagnetic to paramagnetic phase transition, as well as a peculiar double-peak electronic state on the Cr-site defect. These features can be quantitatively explained by density functional theory calculations, which uncover a close relationship between the electronic structure and magnetic order. These findings shed important new lights on the microscopic electronic structure and origin of magnetic order in Cr2Ge2Te6. (C) 2018 Science China Press. Published by Elsevier B.V. and Science China Press. All rights reserved.