Zefang Wang

Tightly Bound Excitons in Monolayer WSe 2

Exciton binding energy and excited states in monolayers of tungsten diselenide (WSe(2)) are investigated using the combined linear absorption and two-photon photoluminescence excitation spectroscopy. The exciton binding energy is determined to be 0.37 eV, which is about an order of magnitude larger than that in III-V semiconductor quantum wells and renders the exciton excited states observable even at room temperature. The exciton excitation spectrum with both experimentally determined one- and two-photon active states is distinct from the simple two-dimensional (2D) hydrogenic model. This result reveals significantly reduced and nonlocal dielectric screening of Coulomb interactions in 2D semiconductors. The observed large exciton binding energy will also have a significant impact on next-generation photonics and optoelectronics applications based on 2D atomic crystals.

Strongly enhanced charge-density-wave order in monolayer NbSe2

Two-dimensional materials possess very different properties from their bulk counterparts. While changes in single-particle electronic properties have been investigated extensively, modifications in the many-body collective phenomena in the exact two-dimensional limit remain relatively unexplored. Here, we report a combined optical and electrical transport study on the many-body collective-order phase diagram of NbSe2 down to a thickness of one monolayer. Both the charge density wave and the superconducting phase have been observed down to the monolayer limit. The superconducting transition temperature decreases on lowering the layer thickness, but the newly observed charge-density-wave transition temperature increases from 33u2005K in the bulk to 145u2005K in the monolayer. Such highly unusual enhancement of charge density waves in atomically thin samples can be understood to be a result of significantly enhanced electron-phonon interactions in two-dimensional NbSe2 (ref.xa04) and is supported by the large blueshift of the collective amplitude vibration observed in our experiment. Our results open up a new window for search and control of collective phases of two-dimensional matter, as well as expanding the functionalities of these materials for electronic applications.

Ising pairing in superconducting NbSe2 atomic layers

The superconducting properties of NbSe2 as it approaches the monolayer limit are investigated by means of magnetotransport measurements, uncovering evidence of spin–momentum locking.

Optical Coherence in Atomic-Monolayer Transition-Metal Dichalcogenides Limited by Electron-Phonon Interactions.

We systematically investigate the excitonic dephasing of three representative transition-metal dichalcogenides, namely, MoS_{2}, MoSe_{2}, and WSe_{2} atomic monolayer thick and bulk crystals, in order to gain a proper understanding of the factors that determine the optical coherence in these materials. Coherent nonlinear optical spectroscopy and temperature dependent absorption, combined with theoretical calculations of the phonon spectra, indicate electron-phonon interactions, to be the limiting factor. Surprisingly, the excitonic dephasing, differs only slightly between atomic monolayers and high quality bulk crystals, which indicates that material imperfections are not the limiting factor in atomically thin monolayer samples. The temperature dependence of the electronic band gap and the excitonic linewidth combined with abxa0initio calculations of the phonon energies and the phonon density of states reveal a strong interaction with the E and E phonon modes.

Probing the Spin-Polarized Electronic Band Structure in Monolayer Transition Metal Dichalcogenides by Optical Spectroscopy

We study the electronic band structure in the K/K valleys of the Brillouin zone of monolayer WSe2 and MoSe2 by optical reflection and photoluminescence spectroscopy on dual-gated field-effect devices. Our experiment reveals the distinct spin polarization in the conduction bands of these compounds by a systematic study of the doping dependence of the A and B excitonic resonances. Electrons in the highest-energy valence band and the lowest-energy conduction band have antiparallel spins in monolayer WSe2 and parallel spins in monolayer MoSe2. The spin splitting is determined to be hundreds of meV for the valence bands and tens of meV for the conduction bands, which are in good agreement with first-principles calculations. These values also suggest that both n- and p-type WSe2 and MoSe2 can be relevant for spin- and valley-based applications.

Valley magnetoelectricity in single-layer MoS2

The magnetoelectric (ME) effect, the phenomenon of inducing magnetization by application of an electric field or vice versa, holds great promise for magnetic sensing and switching applications. Studies of the ME effect have so far focused on the control of the electron spin degree of freedom (DOF) in materials such as multiferroics and conventional semiconductors. Here, we report a new form of the ME effect based on the valley DOF in two-dimensional Dirac materials. By breaking the three-fold rotational symmetry in single-layer MoS 2 via a uniaxial stress, we have demonstrated the pure electrical generation of valley magnetization in this material, and its direct imaging by Kerr rotation microscopy. The observed out-of-plane magnetization is independent of in-plane magnetic field, linearly proportional to the in-plane current density, and optimized when the current is orthogonal to the strain-induced piezoelectric field. These results are fully consistent with a theoretical model of valley magnetoelectricity driven by Berry curvature effects. Furthermore, the effect persists at room temperature, opening possibilities for practical valleytronic devices.

Electrical Tuning of Interlayer Exciton Gases in WSe2 Bilayers

van der Waals heterostructures formed by stacking two-dimensional atomic crystals are a unique platform for exploring new phenomena and functionalities. Interlayer excitons, bound states of spatially separated electron-hole pairs in van der Waals heterostructures, have demonstrated potential for rich valley physics and optoelectronics applications and been proposed to facilitate high-temperature superfluidity. Here, we demonstrate highly tunable interlayer excitons by an out-of-plane electric field in homobilayers of transition metal dichalcogenides. Continuous tuning of the exciton dipole from negative to positive orientation has been achieved, which is not possible in heterobilayers due to the presence of large built-in interfacial electric fields. A large linear field-induced redshift up to ∼100 meV has been observed in the exciton resonance energy. The Stark effect is accompanied by an enhancement of the exciton recombination lifetime by more than two orders of magnitude to >20 ns. The long recombination lifetime has allowed the creation of an interlayer exciton gas with density as large as 1.2 × 1011 cm-2 by moderate continuous-wave optical pumping. Our results have paved the way for the realization of degenerate exciton gases in atomically thin semiconductors.