Doping Tunable CDW Phase Transition in Bulk 1T-ZrSe2

Abstract

Tunable electronic properties in transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) are essential to further their use in device applications. Here, we present a comprehensive scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy study of a doping-induced charge density wave (CDW) in semiconducting bulk 1T-ZrSe2. We find that atomic impurities that locally shift the Fermi level (EF) into the conduction band trigger a CDW reconstruction concomitantly to the opening of a gap at EF. Our findings shed new light on earlier photoemission spectroscopy and theoretical studies of bulk 1T-ZrSe2 and provide local insight into the electron-doping-mediated CDW transition observed in semiconducting TMDs.