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The authors synthesize a planar $p_{x,y}$-orbital kagome lattice by depositing a bromine monolayer onto an Ag(111) substrate, overcoming the limitations of conventional isotropic $d$-electron kagome approximations. Angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy and scanning tunneling microscopy confirm that substrate-mediated orbital filtering suppresses the $p_z$ channel, producing band dispersions that match anisotropic $p_{x,y}$ tight-binding predictions. Supported by density functional theory and hydrogen-passivated modeling, the results establish that intrinsic first-order spin-orbit coupling drives nontrivial topological band characteristics within this isolated $p$-orbital manifold.
Selective orbital filtering in a halogen monolayer circumvents the complex $d$-orbital interference of traditional kagome materials, unlocking the first experimental realization of an intrinsically topological $p_{x,y}$ kagome electronic structure.
Multi-orbital kagome lattices with explicit orbital degrees of freedom remain largely unexplored, as most experimentally realized systems rely on complex d-electron manifolds that are approximated by isotropic single-orbital models. Here, we overcome this limitation by realizing a px,y-orbital kagome lattice through deposition of a Br monolayer on Ag(111), where orbital filtering selectively suppresses the pz channel. Scanning tunneling microscopy, angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, and density-functional-theory calculations reveal a large-area, highly ordered kagome structure whose band dispersions quantitatively match the anisotropic px,y tight-binding model. To extract the intrinsic manifold from the substrate background, we construct an effective H-passivated model, which uncover the intrinsic electronic structure and reveals nontrivial topological characteristics of the px,y kagome manifold driven by first-order spin-orbit coupling effect. Our work establishes Br/Ag(111) as an experimentally accessible platform for multi-orbital kagome physics, extending the kagome paradigm from the conventional d-orbital regime to an orbitally engineered topological setting.
