Electron-phonon coupling and phonon dynamics in single-layer NbSe$_2$ on graphene: the role of moiré phonons

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Main Authors: Taleb, Amjad Al, Wan, Wen, Benedek, Giorgio, Ugeda, Miguel M., Farías, Daniel
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Taleb, Amjad Al
Wan, Wen
Benedek, Giorgio
Ugeda, Miguel M.
Farías, Daniel
author_facet Taleb, Amjad Al
Wan, Wen
Benedek, Giorgio
Ugeda, Miguel M.
Farías, Daniel
contents The interplay between substrate interactions and electron-phonon coupling in two-dimensional (2D) materials presents a significant challenge in understanding and controlling their electronic properties. Here, we present a comparative study of the structural characteristics, phonon dynamics, and electron-phonon interactions in bulk and monolayer NbSe$_2$ on epitaxial bilayer graphene (BLG) using helium atom scattering (HAS). High-resolution helium diffraction reveals a (9x9)0$^{\circ}$ superstructure within the NbSe$_2$ monolayer, commensurate with the BLG lattice, while out-of-plane HAS diffraction spectra indicate a low-corrugated (3$\sqrt{3}$x3$\sqrt{3}$)30$^{\circ}$ substructure. By monitoring the thermal attenuation of the specular peak across a temperature range of 100 K to 300 K, we determined the electron-phonon coupling constant $λ_{HAS}$ as 0.76 for bulk 2H-NbSe$_2$. In contrast, the NbSe$_2$ monolayer on graphene exhibits a reduced $λ_{HAS}$ of 0.55, corresponding to a superconducting critical temperature (T$_C$) of 1.56 K according to the MacMillan formula, consistent with transport measurement findings. Inelastic HAS data provide, besides a set of dispersion curves of acoustic and lower optical phonons, a soft, dispersionless branch of phonons at 1.7 meV, attributed to the interface localized defects distributed with the superstructure period, and thus termed moiré phonons. Our data show that moiré phonons contribute significantly to the electron-phonon coupling in monolayer NbSe$_2$. These results highlight the crucial role of the BLG on the electron-phonon coupling in monolayer NbSe$_2$, attributed to enhanced charge transfer effects, providing valuable insights into substrate-dependent electronic interactions in 2D superconductors.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2501_08140
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Electron-phonon coupling and phonon dynamics in single-layer NbSe$_2$ on graphene: the role of moiré phonons
Taleb, Amjad Al
Wan, Wen
Benedek, Giorgio
Ugeda, Miguel M.
Farías, Daniel
Materials Science
Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics
Strongly Correlated Electrons
Superconductivity
The interplay between substrate interactions and electron-phonon coupling in two-dimensional (2D) materials presents a significant challenge in understanding and controlling their electronic properties. Here, we present a comparative study of the structural characteristics, phonon dynamics, and electron-phonon interactions in bulk and monolayer NbSe$_2$ on epitaxial bilayer graphene (BLG) using helium atom scattering (HAS). High-resolution helium diffraction reveals a (9x9)0$^{\circ}$ superstructure within the NbSe$_2$ monolayer, commensurate with the BLG lattice, while out-of-plane HAS diffraction spectra indicate a low-corrugated (3$\sqrt{3}$x3$\sqrt{3}$)30$^{\circ}$ substructure. By monitoring the thermal attenuation of the specular peak across a temperature range of 100 K to 300 K, we determined the electron-phonon coupling constant $λ_{HAS}$ as 0.76 for bulk 2H-NbSe$_2$. In contrast, the NbSe$_2$ monolayer on graphene exhibits a reduced $λ_{HAS}$ of 0.55, corresponding to a superconducting critical temperature (T$_C$) of 1.56 K according to the MacMillan formula, consistent with transport measurement findings. Inelastic HAS data provide, besides a set of dispersion curves of acoustic and lower optical phonons, a soft, dispersionless branch of phonons at 1.7 meV, attributed to the interface localized defects distributed with the superstructure period, and thus termed moiré phonons. Our data show that moiré phonons contribute significantly to the electron-phonon coupling in monolayer NbSe$_2$. These results highlight the crucial role of the BLG on the electron-phonon coupling in monolayer NbSe$_2$, attributed to enhanced charge transfer effects, providing valuable insights into substrate-dependent electronic interactions in 2D superconductors.
title Electron-phonon coupling and phonon dynamics in single-layer NbSe$_2$ on graphene: the role of moiré phonons
topic Materials Science
Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics
Strongly Correlated Electrons
Superconductivity
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2501.08140