Sd2 graphene: kagome band in a hexagonal lattice

Graphene, made of sp2 hybridized carbon, is characterized with a Dirac band, representative of its underlying 2D hexagonal lattice. The fundamental understanding of graphene has recently spurred a surge in the search for 2D topological quantum phases in solid-state materials. Here, we propose a new form of 2D material, consisting of sd2 hybridized transition metal atoms in hexagonal lattice, called sd2 "graphene." The sd2 graphene is characterized by bond-centered electronic hopping, which transforms the apparent atomic hexagonal lattice into the physics of a kagome lattice that may exhibit a wide range of topological quantum phases. Based on first-principles calculations, room-temperature quantum anomalous Hall states with an energy gap of ∼0.1 eV are demonstrated for one such lattice made of W, which can be epitaxially grown on a semiconductor surface of 1=3 monolayer Cl-covered Si(111), with high thermodynamic and kinetic stability.