Tuning the Electronic Structure in the MoS₂/SrTiO₃ Heterojunction via Phase Evolution of the SrTiO₃ Substrate

The coupling between transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) and SrTiO3 has recently emerged as a fertile platform for discovering interfacial phenomena, where particle interactions, lattice coupling, and dielectric screening give rise to interesting physical effects. These hybrid systems hold significant promise for two-dimensional (2D) electronics, ferroelectric state control, and metastable phase engineering. However, effective modulation of the interfacial electronic structure remains a critical challenge. Here, we investigate the MoS2/SrTiO3 heterostructure using scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS), angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES), and photoemission spectroscopy (PES), complemented by first-principles calculations. We observe a temperature-dependent evolution of the electronic structure and local density of states driven by the structural phase transition of the SrTiO3 substrate. This modulation proceeds without conventional band reconstruction but leads to direct changes in the bandgap. Our findings may unveil a robust and spatially uniform mechanism for electronic structure control, offering a temperature-triggered degree of freedom for engineering interfacial states in TMDC-based devices.