Strain engineering in single-, bi- and tri-layer MoS2, MoSe2, WS2 and WSe2

Abstract

Strain is a powerful tool to modify the optical properties of semiconducting transition metal dichalcogenides like MoS2, MoSe2, WS2 and WSe2. In this work we provide a thorough description of the technical details to perform uniaxial strain measurements on these two-dimensional semiconductors and we provide a straightforward calibration method to determine the amount of applied strain with high accuracy. We then employ reflectance spectroscopy to analyze the strain tunability of the electronic properties of single-, bi- and tri-layer MoS2, MoSe2, WS2 and WSe2. Finally, we quantify the flake-to-flake variability by analyzing 15 different single-layer MoS2 flakes.

4 main text figures, 5 tables, 18 figures in the supporting information

References in corpus (9)

• Elastic properties of freely suspended MoS2 nanosheets
• Recent progress in the assembly of nanodevices and van der Waals heterostructures by deterministic placement of 2D materials
• Band Gap Engineering with Ultralarge Biaxial Strains in Suspended Monolayer MoS2
• Micro-reflectance and transmittance spectroscopy: a versatile and powerful tool to characterize 2D materials
• Mechanics of freely-suspended ultrathin layered materials
• InSe: a two-dimensional semiconductor with superior flexibility
• Strain-engineering the Schottky barrier and electrical transport on MoS2
• Thickness determination of MoS2, MoSe2, WS2 and WSe2 on transparent stamps used for deterministic transfer of 2D materials
• An inexpensive system for the deterministic transfer of 2D materials

Cited by in corpus (10)

• Strongly anisotropic strain-tunability of excitons in exfoliated ZrSe${}_3$
• Dark-exciton driven energy funneling into dielectric inhomogeneities in two-dimensional semiconductors
• An automated system for strain engineering and straintronics of 2D materials
• Interaction-driven transport of dark excitons in 2D semiconductors with phonon-mediated optical readout
• Synthesis of built-in highly strained monolayer MoS2 using liquid precursor chemical vapor deposition
• Visualization of dark excitons in semiconductor monolayers for high-sensitivity strain sensing
• Engineering robust strain transmission in van der Waals heterostructure devices
• Excitons under strain: light absorption and emission in strained hexagonal boron nitride
• Enhanced Strain Transfer and Optoelectronic Performance in MoS2 Devices via Formvar Encapsulation
• Measurements of absolute bandgap deformation-potentials of optically-bright bilayer WSe${}_2$