Epitaxial Single-Layer MoS2 on GaN with Enhanced Valley Helicity

Abstract

Engineering the substrate of 2D transition metal dichalcogenides can couple the quasiparticle interaction between the 2D material and substrate, providing an additional route to realize conceptual quantum phenomena and novel device functionalities, such as realization of a 12-time increased valley spitting in single-layer WSe₂ through the interfacial magnetic exchange field from a ferromagnetic EuS substrate, and band-to-band tunnel field-effect transistors with a subthreshold swing below 60 mV dec⁻¹ at room temperature based on bilayer n-MoS₂ and heavily doped p-germanium, etc. Here, it is demonstrated that epitaxially grown single-layer MoS₂ on a lattice-matched GaN substrate, possessing a type-I band alignment, exhibits strong substrate-induced interactions. The phonons in GaN quickly dissipate the energy of photogenerated carriers through electron–phonon interaction, resulting in a short exciton lifetime in the MoS₂/GaN heterostructure. This interaction enables an enhanced valley helicity at room temperature (0.33 ± 0.05) observed in both steady-state and time-resolved circularly polarized photoluminescence measurements. The findings highlight the importance of substrate engineering for modulating the intrinsic valley carriers in ultrathin 2D materials and potentially open new paths for valleytronics and valley-optoelectronic device applications.

The epitaxially oriented growth of single-layer MoS₂ on a lattice-matched GaN substrate is reported. The strong interlayer electron–phonon coupling in the heterostructure modulates the valley dynamics of the MoS₂. An enhanced room-temperature valley helicity ≈0.33 ± 0.05 is observed. The ability to manipulate valley dynamics with underlying substrate opens new opportunities for valley-sensitive photonics and optoelectronics.

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