  Identifying the two-dimensional (2D) topological insulating (TI) state in new
materials and its control are crucial aspects towards the development of
voltage-controlled spintronic devices with low power dissipation. Members of
the 2D transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) have been recently predicted
and experimentally reported as a new class of 2D TI materials, but in most
cases edge conduction seems fragile and limited to the monolayer phase
fabricated on specified substrates. Here, we realize the controlled patterning
of the 1T'-phase embedded into the 2H-phase of thin semiconducting
molybdenum-disulfide (MoS2) by laser beam irradiation. Integer fractions of the
quantum of resistance, the dependence on laser-irradiation conditions, magnetic
field, and temperature, as well as the bulk gap observation by scanning
tunneling spectroscopy and theoretical calculations indicate the presence of
the quantum spin Hall phase in our patterned 1T' phases.
