Experimental and Theoretical Study of Possible Collective Electronic States in Exfoliable Re-Doped NbS2

Metallic transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) are rich material systems in which the interplay between strong electron-electron and electron-phonon interactions often results in a variety of collective electronic states, such as charge density waves (CDWs) and superconductivity. While most metallic group V TMDs exhibit coexisting superconducting and CDW phases, 2H-NbS2 stands out with no charge ordering. Further, due to strong interlayer interaction, the preparation of ultrathin samples of 2H-NbS2 has been challenging, limiting the exploration of presumably rich quantum phenomena in reduced dimensionality. Here, we demonstrate experimentally and theoretically that light substitutional doping of NbS2 with heavy atoms is an effective approach to modify both interlayer interaction and collective electronic states in NbS2. Very low concentrations of Re dopants (<1%) make NbS2 exfoliable (down to monolayer) while maintaining its 2H crystal structure and superconducting behavior. In addition, first-principles calculations suggest that Re dopants can stabilize some native CDW patterns that are not stable in pristine NbS2.

Automated summary

Metallic transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) are rich material systems with strong electron-electron and electron-phonon interactions leading to various collective electronic states. Substitutional doping with heavy atoms can modify interlayer interaction and collective electronic states in NbS2, allowing for easy exfoliation while maintaining superconductivity. Additionally, Re dopants can stabilize native CDW patterns that are not stable in pristine NbS2 according to first-principles calculations.