Nanowerk

Local Disorder Impacts a Quantum Material's Electronic States

Researchers at UC Davis and the ALS combined spatially resolved ARPES and XPS with AI‑driven analysis to map the surface chemistry of the Weyl semimetal Co₃Sn₂S₂. The study identified not only the expected sulfur‑ and tin‑terminated regions but also intermediate disorder zones that alter the material’s Fermi‑arc electronic structure. These findings demonstrate that local surface disorder can be used to tune magnetic and electronic properties relevant to spintronics and catalysis. Future ALS‑U upgrades promise even finer spatial resolution for such investigations.