Relativistic Effects in LaBi2 Thin Films
Abstract
Chemical substitution in crystalline quantum materials is a powerful way to explore the consequences of strong spin-orbit coupling on their structural and electronic properties. In this work, we present an investigation of thin films of the LaPn2 (Pn~=~Sb, Bi) class of layered square-net intermetallics. We report the growth of LaBi2 with a pristine layer-by-layer growth mode, classifying it as a good metal displaying superconductivity at 0.55~K. Compared to LaSb2, we attribute the enhanced metallic behavior and improved growth dynamics of LaBi2 to significant relativistic corrections to its electronic band structure and the resulting impact on both surface energy and intrinsic phonon scattering.
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