Atomically Thin Semiconductors for Nanophotonics

upstart writes:

Atomically thin semiconductors for nanophotonics:

Atomically thin semiconductors such as molybdenum disulfide and tungsten disulfide are promising materials for nanoscale photonic devices. These approximately 2D semiconductors support so-called excitons, which are bound electron-hole pairs, that can align vertically along the thin plane of the materials.

Excitons are bound electron-hole pairs that can interact with electrical charges, spins, and phonons. This range of interactions indicates that excitons could herald a new wave of devices based on nanoscale photonics and optoelectronics.

For his Ph.D. thesis, Rasmus Godiksen investigated the exciton behavior in atomically thin semiconductors, focusing on emitted light, by exploring the potential of excitons in ultra-thin semiconductors such as molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) and tungsten disulfide (WS2). The semiconductors are so thin that can be approximated as 2D materials. So, in effect, Godiksen studied excitons in 2D materials.

First, Godiksen and his collaborators showed that the 2D excitons are very sensitive to their nanoscopic environment. Using photoluminescence (PL) imaging techniques, they measured fluorescence fluctuations due to charge transfer to the semiconductor. Such fluctuations are spatially correlated over tens of micrometers in WS2 monolayers on metal films.

Read more of this story at SoylentNews.