Semimetallicity of free-standing hydrogenated monolayer boron from MgB2

Electronic states of a free-standing hydrogenated monolayer boron (HB) sheet were studied via soft x-ray spectroscopies at the B K-shell absorption edge and first-principles calculations. The HB sheet is semimetallic with electron and hole pockets at the Y and Gamma points, respectively. The electron band results from the B-HB bonds formed during synthesis from a MgB2 crystal, while the hole band is kept through the process and originates from a honeycomb lattice boron layer or borophene in MgB2. Our results suggest that the HB sheet is a promising two-dimensional material for realizing new boron-based or superconducting nanodevices.