Structural phase transition and magnetic behavior in two-dimensional rhenium-doped molybdenum diselenide*

Typical Group VIB transition metal dichalcogenides are layered van der Waals compounds with a semiconducting behavior due to 2H symmetry. The 1T/1T' symmetry imparts semimetallic behavior but isn't as energetically stable; these phases are typically obtained via lithium intercalation. Here, we demonstrate the 2H-1T' stable phase transition via controllable incorporation of rhenium in 2D MoSe₂ using chemical vapor deposition. The phase transition is revealed via HAADF-STEM imaging and complimented by DFT simulations. In addition, we also show the emergence of magnetic ordering in such 2D alloys which pave the way for tuning these phase fractions for applications in electronics and/or spintronics.