Dataset: Persistent spin texture protected by the approximate symmetry in weakly interacting graphene/WTe2 heterostructure

DOI

Crystal symmetries in solids give rise to spin-momentum locking, which determines how an electron's spin orientation depends on its momentum. This relationship, often referred to as spin texture, influences both charge-to-spin conversion and spin relaxation, making it one of the essential characteristics for spin-orbit-driven phenomena. Materials with strong spin-orbit coupling and broken inversion symmetry can host persistent spin textures (PSTs) - unidirectional spin configurations in momentum space, supporting efficient charge-to-spin conversion and extended spin lifetimes. Monolayer WTe2, a topological material crystallizing in a rectangular lattice, is a notable example; its symmetry enforces a canted PST enabling quantum spin Hall effect with the nontrivial spin orientation. Here, we use first-principles calculations to explore how these properties are modified when WTe2 is interfaced with graphene. We find that the PST is preserved by the local symmetry present in different regions of the heterostructure, while the system develops extended electron and hole pockets, resulting in semimetallic behavior. Although the band gap closes and eliminates the quantum spin Hall phase, spin Hall effects remain robust in both conventional and unconventional geometries. The computed spin Hall conductivities are comparable to those of other two-dimensional materials, and the survival of the PST suggests the possibility of long-range spin transport even in the absence of topological edge states. In addition, the graphene layer serves as an oxidation barrier, helping protect the intrinsic properties of WTe2 and supporting the potential of this heterostructure for spintronic applications.

Identifier
DOI https://doi.org/10.34894/RQAGKS
Metadata Access https://dataverse.nl/oai?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=oai_datacite&identifier=doi:10.34894/RQAGKS
Provenance
Creator Przemyslaw Przybysz ORCID logo; Karma Tenzin; Berkay Kilic; Witold Kozłowski; Paweł J. Kowalczyk; Paweł Dabrowski; Jagoda Sławińska
Publisher DataverseNL
Contributor Groningen Digital Competence Centre; DataverseNL Network
Publication Year 2025
Rights CC-BY-4.0; info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess; http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
OpenAccess true
Contact Groningen Digital Competence Centre (rug.nl)
Representation
Resource Type Dataset
Format text/markdown; text/plain; text/x-python; text/xml; application/octet-stream
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Version 1.0
Discipline Natural Sciences; Physics