Visualizing electronic structures of quantum materials by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy

• Published in: Nature reviews. Materials Vol. 3; no. 9; pp. 341 - 353
• Main Authors: Yang, Haifeng, Liang, Aiji, Chen, Cheng, Zhang, Chaofan, Schroeter, Niels B. M., Chen, Yulin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 01.09.2018; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 639/301/119/2792/4128; 639/301/119/2794; 639/301/930/2735; 639/766/400/1106; Biomaterials; Chemistry and Materials Science; Condensed Matter Physics; Crystal lattices; Crystal structure; Fermi surfaces; Light sources; Magnetic properties; Material properties; Materials Science; Nanotechnology; Optical and Electronic Materials; Optical properties; Photoelectric emission; Photoelectron spectroscopy; Physical properties; Review Article; Spectrum analysis; Transition metal compounds
• ISSN: 2058-8437; 2058-8437
• DOI: 10.1038/s41578-018-0047-2

Electronic structures are critical characteristics that determine the electrical, magnetic and optical properties of materials. With the capability of directly visualizing band dispersions and Fermi surfaces, angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) has emerged as a powerful experimental tool to extract the electronic structures of materials and the coupling of these electronic structures to different degrees of freedom in crystal lattices. In the past three decades, advances in instrumentation and light sources have significantly improved the accuracy and efficiency of ARPES experiments. These advances have enabled the application of ARPES in novel material systems to aid our understanding of their physical properties and behaviours. In this Review, we give a brief introduction to the principles of ARPES and outline its applications in different material systems, with a focus on topological quantum materials and transition metal dichalcogenides. Angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) is a powerful experimental technique that can directly visualize electronic structures of materials. In this Review, the basic principles of ARPES are introduced, and its application to quantum materials, with a focus on topological quantum materials and transition metal dichalcogenides, is discussed.