Boosting proximity spin orbit coupling in graphene/WSe$_2$\n heterostructures via hydrostatic pressure

Abstract

Van der Waals heterostructures composed of multiple few layer crystals allow\nthe engineering of novel materials with predefined properties. As an example,\ncoupling graphene weakly to materials with large spin orbit coupling (SOC)\nallows to engineer a sizeable SOC in graphene via proximity effects. The\nstrength of the proximity effect depends on the overlap of the atomic orbitals,\ntherefore, changing the interlayer distance via hydrostatic pressure can be\nutilized to enhance the interlayer coupling between the layers. In this work,\nwe report measurements on a graphene/WSe$_2$ heterostructure exposed to\nincreasing hydrostatic pressure. A clear transition from weak localization to\nweak anti-localization is visible as the pressure increases, demonstrating the\nincrease of induced SOC in graphene.\n