Transition-metal dichalcogenides are an emergent class of semiconducting materials with extraordinary opto-electronic properties when reduced to few layers. In the monolayer limit, they emit light efficiently in the visible/infrared region and their flexibility and robustness allow to exploit mechanical deformations to change their inherent properties. Here, we discuss the effect of proton-irradiation of bulk WS2, WSe2, WTe2, MoS2, MoSe2 and MoTe2 crystals with low energy beams. Protons penetrate through the crystal top layer, and molecular hydrogen forms. The trapped gas coalesces to create micro-/nano-domes, leading to the blistering of one-monolayer-thick domes filled with highly pressurised hydrogen, that locally turns the dark bulk material into an efficient light emitter. These domes are robust and stable, and host strong, non-trivial strain fields that cause unprecedented major changes in the band structure of the material.

Proton-induced straining of two-dimensional crystals / Blundo, Elena. - In: IL NUOVO CIMENTO C. - ISSN 2037-4909. - (2020). [10.1393/ncc/i2020-20112-6]

Proton-induced straining of two-dimensional crystals

Elena Blundo
2020

Abstract

Transition-metal dichalcogenides are an emergent class of semiconducting materials with extraordinary opto-electronic properties when reduced to few layers. In the monolayer limit, they emit light efficiently in the visible/infrared region and their flexibility and robustness allow to exploit mechanical deformations to change their inherent properties. Here, we discuss the effect of proton-irradiation of bulk WS2, WSe2, WTe2, MoS2, MoSe2 and MoTe2 crystals with low energy beams. Protons penetrate through the crystal top layer, and molecular hydrogen forms. The trapped gas coalesces to create micro-/nano-domes, leading to the blistering of one-monolayer-thick domes filled with highly pressurised hydrogen, that locally turns the dark bulk material into an efficient light emitter. These domes are robust and stable, and host strong, non-trivial strain fields that cause unprecedented major changes in the band structure of the material.
2020
two-dimensional materials, strain, irradiation, bubble, transition-metal dichalcogenide, indirect, transition
01 Pubblicazione su rivista::01a Articolo in rivista
Proton-induced straining of two-dimensional crystals / Blundo, Elena. - In: IL NUOVO CIMENTO C. - ISSN 2037-4909. - (2020). [10.1393/ncc/i2020-20112-6]
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11573/1415271
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