Excitons in atomically thin black phosphorus

Raman scattering and photoluminescence spectroscopy are used to investigate the optical properties of single layer black phosphorus obtained by mechanical exfoliation of bulk crystals under an argon atmosphere. The Raman spectroscopy, performed in situ on the same flake as the photoluminescence measurements, demonstrates the single layer character of the investigated samples. The emission spectra, dominated by excitonic effects, display the expected in-plane anisotropy. The emission energy depends on the type of substrate on which the flake is placed due to the different dielectric screening. Finally, the blueshift of the emission with increasing temperature is well described using a two-oscillator model for the temperature dependence of the band gap.