Anisotropic hybridization probed by polarization dependent x-ray absorption spectroscopy in VI3 van der Waals Mott ferromagnet

Polarization dependent x-ray absorption spectroscopy was used to study the magnetic ground state and the orbital occupation in bulk-phase VI van der Waals crystals below and above the ferromagnetic and structural transitions. X-ray natural linear dichroism and x-ray magnetic circular dichroism spectra acquired at the V L 2 , 3 edges are compared against multiplet cluster calculations within the frame of the ligand field theory to quantify the intra-atomic electronic interactions at play and evaluate the effects of symmetry reduction occurring in a trigonally distorted VI unit. We observed a non zero linear dichroism proving the presence of an anisotropic charge density distribution around the V ion due to the unbalanced hybridization between the vanadium and the ligand states. Such hybridization acts as an effective trigonal crystal field, slightly lifting the degeneracy of the t 2 g 2 ground state. However, the energy splitting associated to the distortion underestimates the experimental band gap, suggesting that the insulating ground state is stabilized by Mott correlation effects rather than via a Jahn-Teller mechanism. Our results clarify the role of the distortion in VI and establish a benchmark for the study of the spectroscopic properties of other van der Waals halides, including emerging 2D materials with mono and few-layers thickness, whose fundamental properties might be altered by reduced dimensions and interface proximity.