Explore the Electronic Structure and Flatband Physics in the van der Waals Electrides ReCl (Re=Sc, Y, La)

This proposal aims to explore the unique electronic structure and flat band physics in a family of van der Waals layered electrides, ReCl (Re = Sc, Y, La). These materials host anionic electrons that form a dice-lattice geometry, a source of flat bands at the Fermi level known to enhance electron correlations and host emergent quantum phenomena. Our recent angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) study on YCl provides the first experimental confirmation of this dice-lattice electronic structure. Here, we propose to extend this investigation to the unexplored electronic structures of ScCl and LaCl using high-resolution ARPES at the LOREA beamline. The objectives are to resolve the orbital-dependent band structures, study the temperature evolution across magnetic transitions, and identify correlation effects through self-energy analysis of the ARPES spectra. This systematic study will establish the ReCl system as a novel materials platform for investigating flat band physics and electron correlation effect.