One-dimensional magnetic chains in sub-monolayer CrTe₂ grown on NbSe₂

Abstract

Abstract Magnetic/superconducting heterostructures have attracted significant attention due to their potential to host topological superconductivity and Majorana zero modes. In this study, we report the growth of CrTe 2 ultrathin films on NbSe 2 substrates through molecular beam epitaxy. Structural characterization revealed an initial epitaxial stabilization of a compressed Cr–Te layer, with subsequent annealing inducing a periodic stress-relief reconstruction that exhibits controllable nanoscale periodicity. Scanning tunneling spectroscopy measurements unveiled edge-localized magnetic moments. This system provides a novel platform for constructing one-dimensional magnetic chains through strain-modulated self-assembly, while simultaneously offering an atomically precise interface between magnetic and superconducting orders. Our findings advance the prospects for designing the heterostructures in topological quantum devices.