Emergence of topological and trivial interface states in VSe2 films coupled to Bi2Se3

Coupling ordinary metals with topological Bi2Se3 can instigate the long-range migration of the spin-polarized Dirac states. Instead, for trivial metallic VSe2 films on Bi2Se3, topological and trivial Rashba-type interface states emerge, each strongly localized at the VSe2/Bi2Se3 interface. Their rapidly decaying spectral weights are uncovered by thickness-dependent band mappings of VSe2 films and replicated by a phenomenological first-principles model of the spectral function. The results are pertinent to spintronic devices requiring spin transmission across metal/topological insulator interfaces.