Mastering the growth of antimonene on Bi2Se3: strategies and insights

Antimonene, the two-dimensional phase of antimony, appears in two distinct allotropes when epitaxially grown on Bi2Se3: the puckered asymmetric washboard ({\alpha}) and buckled honeycomb ({\beta}) bilayer structures. As-deposited antimony films exhibit varying proportions of single {\alpha} and {\beta} structures. We identify the conditions necessary for ordered, pure-phase growth of single to triple {\beta}-antimonene bilayers. Additionally, we determine their electronic structure, work function, and characteristic core-level binding energies, offering an explanation for the relatively large chemical shifts observed among the different phases. This study not only establishes a protocol for achieving a single {\beta} phase of antimonene but also provides key signatures for distinguishing between the different allotropes using standard spectroscopic and microscopic techniques.