Multi-conditioned controlled growth of CoBi nanostructures on SrTiO₃

Cobalt pnictides have been theoretically proposed to be attractive candidates for high-temperature superconductors. Additionally, monolayered CoX (X = As, Sb, Bi) on SrTiO₃ systems present a potential new platform for realizing topological superconductors in the two-dimensional limit, due to their nontrivial band topology. To this end, we have successfully fabricated high-quality CoBi nanoislands on SrTiO₃ (001) substrates by molecular beam epitaxy followed by an investigation of their atomic structure and electronic properties via in situ scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy. Beyond the previously predicted lattice with a = b = 3.5 Å, 2 × 1 dimer row was observed in this study. Furthermore, our results reveal that the topography of CoBi islands is strongly influenced by various growth conditions, such as substrate temperature, the flux ratio between Co and Bi, and the annealing process. This study paves the way for further explorations of the superconductivity and topological properties of cobalt pnictide systems.