Rashba valleys and quantum Hall states in few-layer black arsenic

Exciting phenomena may emerge in non-centrosymmetric two-dimensional electronic systems when spin-orbit coupling (SOC)(1) interplays dynamically with Coulomb interactions(2,3), band topology(4,5) and external modulating forces(6-8). Here we report synergetic effects between SOC and the Stark effect in centrosymmetric few-layer black arsenic, which manifest as particle-hole asymmetric Rashba valley formation and exotic quantum Hall states that are reversibly controlled by electrostatic gating. The unusual findings are rooted in the puckering square lattice of black arsenic, in which heavy 4p orbitals form a Brillouin zone-centred Gamma valley with p(z) symmetry, coexisting with doubly degenerate D valleys of p(x) origin near the time-reversal-invariant momenta of the X points. When a perpendicular electric field breaks the structure inversion symmetry, strong Rashba SOC is activated for the p(x) bands, which produces spin-valley-flavoured D-+/- valleys paired by time-reversal symmetry, whereas Rashba splitting of the Gamma valley is constrained by the p(z) symmetry. Intriguingly, the giant Stark effect shows the same p(x)-orbital selectiveness, collectively shifting the valence band maximum of the D-+/- Rashba valleys to exceed the Gamma Rashba top. Such an orchestrating effect allows us to realize gate-tunable Rashba valley manipulations for two-dimensional hole gases, hallmarked by unconventional even-to-odd transitions in quantum Hall states due to the formation of a flavour-dependent Landau level spectrum. For two-dimensional electron gases, the quantization of the Gamma Rashba valley is characterized by peculiar density-dependent transitions in the band topology from trivial parabolic pockets to helical Dirac fermions. Two-dimensional electronic systems in few-layer black arsenic show gate-tunable Rashba bands with unique spin-valley flavours and unconventional quantum Hall states due to synergetic spin-orbit coupling and the Stark effect.

Automated summary

In this study, synergistic effects between spin-orbit coupling and the Stark effect in centrosymmetric few-layer black arsenic are reported, leading to particle-hole asymmetric Rashba valley formation and exotic quantum Hall states controlled by electrostatic gating. These novel phenomena are rooted in the unique lattice structure and orbital symmetries of black arsenic, enabling gate-tunable manipulation of Rashba valleys for two-dimensional electronic systems with unconventional quantum Hall states.