Layer-number-dependent spin Hall effects in transition metal monocarbides $M_{2}\rm{C}$ ($M=\rm{V}, \rm{Nb}, \rm{Ta}$)

Abstract

The recent discovery of strong spin Hall effects (SHE) in 2D layered topological semimetals has attracted intensive attention due to its exotic electronic properties and potential applications in spintronic devices. In this paper, we systematically study the topological properties and intrinsic SHE of layered transition metal carbides $M_{2}\rm{C}$ ($M=\rm{V}, \rm{Nb}, \rm{Ta}$). The results show that both bulk and monolayer $M_{2}\rm{C}$ have symmetry-protected nodal points (NPs) and lines (NLs) originating from the $d$ band crossing near the Fermi level ($E_F$). The inclusion of SOC breaks the degeneracy of NLs and NPs, contributing to large spin Hall conductivity (SHC) up to $\sim$1100 and $\sim$200 $(\hbar / e)(\Omega \mathrm{cm})^{-1}$ for bulk and monolayer Ta$_{2}$C, respectively. Remarkably, we find that magnitude of SHC exhibits a significant enhancement by increasing the layer number. For eight-layer Ta$_{2}$C, the maximum value of SHC can reach up to $\sim$600 $(\hbar / e)(\Omega \mathrm{cm})^{-1}$, comparable to many reported 3D topological materials. Analysis of spin Berry curvature reveals that the large SHC originates from layer-number-dependent nodal line structure near the $E_F$, in which the repeated crossover between valence and conduction bands creates large amounts of NPs along the $\Gamma\rm{-K}$ route. Our findings not only provide a new platform for experimental research of low-dimensional SHE, but also suggest an effective way of realizing giant SHE by controlling layer thickness.