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Relativistic effects in LaBi2 thin films

Reiley Dorrian1,2, Sungmin Song3,4, Jinwoong Kim4,5, Mizuki Ohno1,2, Seung-Hoon Jhi3, Nicholas Kioussis4, and Joseph Falson1,2,*

  • *Contact author: falson@caltech.edu
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Phys. Rev. Materials 10, 053401 – Published 21 May, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/rbjx-39nv

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 ∼0.55K. 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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Phys. Rev. Materials 10, 053401– Published 21 May, 2026
  • Received 6 February 2026
  • Accepted 1 May 2026
Article part of CHORUS
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