Reversible switching of the environment-protected quantum spin Hall insulator bismuthene at the graphene/SiC interface
- Niclas Tilgner
- Susanne Wolff
- Serguei Soubatch
- Tien-Lin Lee
- Andres David Peña Unigarro
- Sibylle Gemming
- F. Stefan Tautz
- Thomas Seyller
- Christian Kumpf
- Fabian Göhler
- Philip Schädlich
2025-07-04
Quantum spin Hall insulators have been extensively studied both theoretically and experimentally because they exhibit robust helical edge states driven by spin-orbit coupling and offer the potential for applications in spintronics through dissipationless spin transport. Here we show that a single layer of elemental Bi, formed by intercalation of an epitaxial graphene buffer layer on SiC(0001), is a promising candidate for a quantum spin Hall insulator. This layer can be reversibly switched between an electronically inactive precursor state and a bismuthene state, the latter exhibiting the predicted band structure of a true two-dimensional bismuthene layer. Switching is accomplished by hydrogenation (dehydrogenation) of the sample. A partial passivation (activation) of Si dangling bonds causes a lateral shift of Bi atoms involving a change of the adsorption site. In the bismuthene state, the Bi honeycomb layer is a prospective quantum spin Hall insulator, inherently protected by the graphene sheet above and the H-passivated substrate below.