The Rashba effect in Janus structures, accompanied by nontrivial topology, plays an important role in spintronics and even photovoltaic applications. Herein, through first-principles calculations, we systematically investigate the geometric stability and electronic structures of 135 kinds of Janus MAA'ZxZ'(4−x) family derived from two-dimensional MA2Z4 (M = Mg, Ga, Sr; A = Al, Ga; Z = S, Se, Te) monolayers and design numerous Rashba semiconductors and inversion-asymmetric topological insulators. Specifically, there are a total of 26 Rashba semiconductors with isolated spin-splitting bands contributed by Se/Te-pz orbitals at conduction band minimum, and the magnitude of the Rashba constant correlates strongly with both the intrinsic electric field and the strength of spin–orbit coupling (SOC). As the atomic number increases, the bandgap of Janus MAA'ZxZ'(4−x) continually decreases until it shrinks to a point where, when SOC is considered, band inversion occurs, leading to a reopening of the bandgap with nontrivial topological phases. In conjunction with band inversion, pz orbitals near the Fermi level can introduce double Rashba splitting featuring a distinctive hybrid spin texture, which can be further effectively adjusted through small biaxial strains and show a continuous evolution from topological to non-topological accompanied by different spin textures. This work provides significant insights into Rashba and topology physics and further presents indispensable inversion-asymmetry materials for the development of nonlinear optoelectronics.
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Two-dimensional Rashba semiconductors and inversion-asymmetric topological insulators in monolayer Janus MAA'ZxZ'(4−x) family
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21 April 2025
Research Article|
April 22 2025
Two-dimensional Rashba semiconductors and inversion-asymmetric topological insulators in monolayer Janus MAA'ZxZ'(4−x) family
Jinghui Wei
;
Jinghui Wei
(Data curation, Investigation, Methodology, Validation, Visualization, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing)
1
Key Laboratory of Materials Physics, Ministry of Education, School of Physics, Zhengzhou University
, Zhengzhou 450001, People's Republic of China
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Qikun Tian
;
Qikun Tian
(Investigation, Software, Validation, Writing – review & editing)
2
State Key Laboratory of Advanced Design and Manufacturing Technology for Vehicle, College of Mechanical and Vehicle Engineering, Hunan University
, Changsha 410082, People's Republic of China
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XinTing Xu
;
XinTing Xu
(Validation)
1
Key Laboratory of Materials Physics, Ministry of Education, School of Physics, Zhengzhou University
, Zhengzhou 450001, People's Republic of China
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Guangzhao Qin
;
Guangzhao Qin
(Formal analysis, Resources, Writing – review & editing)
2
State Key Laboratory of Advanced Design and Manufacturing Technology for Vehicle, College of Mechanical and Vehicle Engineering, Hunan University
, Changsha 410082, People's Republic of China
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Xu Zuo
;
Xu Zuo
(Formal analysis)
3
College of Electronic Information and Optical Engineering, Nankai University
, Tianjin 300350, People's Republic of China
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Zhenzhen Qin
Zhenzhen Qin
a)
(Conceptualization, Formal analysis, Funding acquisition, Investigation, Project administration, Resources, Supervision, Visualization, Writing – review & editing)
1
Key Laboratory of Materials Physics, Ministry of Education, School of Physics, Zhengzhou University
, Zhengzhou 450001, People's Republic of China
a)Author to whom correspondence should be addressed: [email protected]
Search for other works by this author on:
Jinghui Wei
1
Qikun Tian
2
XinTing Xu
1
Guangzhao Qin
2
Zhenzhen Qin
1,a)
1
Key Laboratory of Materials Physics, Ministry of Education, School of Physics, Zhengzhou University
, Zhengzhou 450001, People's Republic of China
2
State Key Laboratory of Advanced Design and Manufacturing Technology for Vehicle, College of Mechanical and Vehicle Engineering, Hunan University
, Changsha 410082, People's Republic of China
3
College of Electronic Information and Optical Engineering, Nankai University
, Tianjin 300350, People's Republic of China
a)Author to whom correspondence should be addressed: [email protected]
Appl. Phys. Lett. 126, 163104 (2025)
Article history
Received:
January 17 2025
Accepted:
April 04 2025
Citation
Jinghui Wei, Qikun Tian, XinTing Xu, Guangzhao Qin, Xu Zuo, Zhenzhen Qin; Two-dimensional Rashba semiconductors and inversion-asymmetric topological insulators in monolayer Janus MAA'ZxZ'(4−x) family. Appl. Phys. Lett. 21 April 2025; 126 (16): 163104. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0258804
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