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Caption of the figure: (a) Scanning transmission electron microscopy image of a pentagonal nanowire; the inset shows the disclination and core chain (CC). Theoretical electronic structure with the red bands from the core connecting the valence and the conduction for (b) cation and (c) anion twin-boundaries.
Magtop authors in collaboration with other units of the IFPAN and Kalmar University (Sweden) delivered the first experimental realization of pentagonal nanowires (NWs) within ionic compounds using Pb1-xSnxTe. There are different structural properties between the core and the shell of the nanowires even if the chemical elements and composition are the same; therefore, it were synthesized unique intrinsic core–shell onedimensional nanowires with distinct properties between the core and the shell region of the nanowires. At the center of the nanowires, there is a line defect named disclination. The disclination and twin boundary cause the electronic states originating from the NW core region to generate a conducting band connecting the valence and conduction bands, creating a symmetry-enforced metallic phase. Finally, the study highlights these pentagonal NWs as potential candidates for higher-order topology.
Ghulam Hussain, Giuseppe Cuono, Piotr Dziawa, Dorota Janaszko, Janusz Sadowski, Slawomir Kret, Bogusława Kurowska, Jakub Polaczyński, Kinga Warda, Shahid Sattar, Carlo M. Canali, Alexander Lau, Wojciech Brzezicki, Tomasz Story & Carmine Autieri. Pentagonal nanowires from topological crystalline insulators: a platform for intrinsic core–shell nanowires and higher-order topology. Nanoscale Horizon 9, 1290-1300 (2024)
https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2024/nh/d4nh00019f