This study demonstrates the creation of a defect gradient and the Rashba effect in 1T-phase PtSe₂ thin films through plasma treatment. Scanning transmission electron microscopy reveals a defect gradient along the PtSe₂ layers, primarily due to Se vacancies extending 7 nm from the surface. Nonreciprocal transport behaviors and density functional theory calculations confirm the Rashba effect induced by the broken inversion symmetry resulting from the defect gradient. This method offers a novel approach for functional defect engineering to manipulate spin and momentum of electrons for advanced electronic applications.

Junhyeon Jo, Jung Hwa Kim, Choong H. Kim, Jaebyeong Lee, Daeseong Choe, Inseon Oh, Seunghyun Lee, Zonghoon Lee, Hosub Jin, Jung-Woo Yoo