IN-PERSON EVENT

PhD: Kevin García Diez

Directors:

ICREA Prof. Aitor Mugarza (ICN2) & Dr. Massimo Tallarida (ALBA Synchrotron)

The thesis investigates the atomic structure, growth evolution, and electronic properties of bismuth-based monolayers and ultrathin films grown on metallic substrates. Combining scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy (STM/STS), low-energy electron diffraction (LEED), angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES), and density functional theory (DFT), the research elucidates how reduced dimensionality and interface interactions govern the emergence of novel two-dimensional (2D) bismuth-based phases.

Key contributions include establishing a reproducible preparation method for saturated Bi(110) monolayers, resolving their long-range atomic superperiodicity of its Moire pattern, and mapping their electronic band structures for the first time. Additionally, the work explores alkali-metal deposition as a tuning strategy, demonstrating that lithium deposition on Bi(110)/Ag(111) triggers a structural phase transition into an ordered BiLi_2 alloy with a 2D hole-like band dispersion, and establishes the precise temperature-dependent stability window of ultraflat β-bismuthene on Ag(111). These findings advance the understanding of bismuth-based 2D materials with potential quantum and spintronic applications.

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