Intrinsic spin-valley locking for conducting electrons in metal-semiconductor-metal lateral hetero-structures of $1H$-transition-metal dichalcogenides

Abstract

Lateral-hetero structures of atomic layered materials alter the electronic properties of pristine crystals and provide a possibility to produce useful monolayer materials. We reveal that metal-semiconductor-metal lateral-hetero junctions of $1H$-transition-metal dichalcogenides intrinsically possess conducting channels of electrons with spin-valley locking, e.g., gate electrode. We theoretically investigate the electronic structure and transport properties of the lateral-hetero junctions and show that the hetero-structure produces conducting channels through the $K$ and $K'$ valleys in the semiconducting transition-metal dichalcogenide and restricts the spin of the conducting electrons in each valley due to the valley dependent charge transfer effect. Moreover, the theoretical investigation shows that the hetero-junction of WSe$_2$ realizes a high transmission probability for valley-spin locked electrons even in a long semiconducting region. The hetero-junction also provides a useful electronic transport property, a step-like I-V characteristic.