Quantum spin Hall states in graphene interacting with WS2 or WSe2

In the framework of first-principles calculations, we investigate the structural and electronic properties of graphene in contact with as well as sandwiched between WS2 and WSe2 monolayers. We report the modification of the band characteristics due to the interaction at the interface and demonstrate that the presence of the dichalcogenide results in quantum spin Hall states in the absence of a magnetic field