Twist-Dependent Semiconductor-to-Metal Transition in Epitaxial Bilayer α-Antimonene

PY Xiao and J Li and DX Pan and YK Li and KJ Yu and X Zhang and L Qiao and XL Peng and L Hu and DF Wang and ZW Wang and WD Xiao and YG Yao, NANO LETTERS, 25, 3166-3172 (2025).

DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.4c05713

In spite of the observation of various exotic correlated physics in twisted graphene and transition metal dichalcogenides, it remains a great challenge to prepare twisted bilayers of puckered elemental layered crystals in the developing field of twistronics. Here, we report the first discovery and success in epitaxial growth of the 39 degrees- twisted bilayer alpha-Sb. Molecular dynamics simulations verify that the 39 degrees-twisted bilayer alpha-Sb is energetically stable, consistent with the experiments. Scanning tunneling spectroscopy in combination with first-principles calculations confirms that the 39 degrees-twisted bilayer alpha-Sb is metallic, whereas the AB-stacked bilayer alpha-Sb appears semiconducting. Such a twist-dependent semiconductor-to-metal transition can be rationalized by the fact that the twist-induced reconstruction facilitates enhanced interlayer electron hopping between the p z orbitals in the 39 degrees-twisted bilayer alpha-Sb. Our work sheds light on the synthesis of twisted bilayers of puckered elemental layered crystals and paves the way for twistronics.

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