Valley polarization caused by crystalline symmetry breaking

Abstract

In two-dimensional (2D) hexagonal lattices with inversion asymmetry, time-reversal (T) connected valleys are at the center of current valleytronic research. In order to trigger valley polarization, dynamical processes and/or magnetism have been considered. In this work, we propose a new mechanism, valley-contrasting sublattice polarization (VCSP), to polarize valleys by reducing the crystalline symmetry that connects the valleys. In our mechanism, significant valley polarization could be readily generated without magnetism, an electric field, or an optical process. Based on tight-binding model analysis and first-principle calculations, the control of valley polarization via crystalline symmetry can be successfully realized in concrete LaOBiS₂ polytypes with Peierls-like structure distortion. Our results provide an unprecedented possibility for exploring valley-contrasting physics.