Novel structures of Gallenene intercalated in epitaxial Graphene

Abstract

The creation of atomically thin layers of non-exfoliable materials remains a crucial challenge, requiring the development of innovative techniques. Here, confinement epitaxy is exploited to realize two-dimensional gallium via intercalation in epitaxial graphene grown on silicon carbide. Novel superstructures arising from the interaction of gallenene (a monolayer of gallium) with graphene and the silicon carbide substrate are investigated. The coexistence of different gallenene phases, including b010-gallenene and the elusive high-pressure Ga(III) phase, is identified. This work sheds new light on the formation of two-dimensional gallium and provides a platform for investigating the exotic electronic and optical properties of confined gallenene.