Precise and reversible band gap tuning in single-layer MoSe2 by uniaxial strain

Joshua O. Island; Agnieszka Kuc; Erik H. Diependaal; Rudolf Bratschitsch; Herre S. J. van der Zant; Thomas Heine; Andres Castellanos-Gomez

doi:10.1039/C5NR08219F

Precise and reversible band gap tuning in single-layer MoSe₂ by uniaxial strain†

Joshua O. Island,*^a Agnieszka Kuc,^bc Erik H. Diependaal,^a Rudolf Bratschitsch,^d Herre S. J. van der Zant,^a Thomas Heine^bc and Andres Castellanos-Gomez*^ae

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* Corresponding authors

^a Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of Technology, Lorentzweg 1, 2628 CJ Delft, The Netherlands
E-mail: j.o.island@tudelft.nl, andres.castellanos@imdea.org

^b Engineering and Science, Jacobs University Bremen, Campus Ring 1, 28779 Bremen, Germany

^c Wilhelm-Ostwald-Institut für Physikalische und Theoretische Chemie, Universität Leipzig, Linnéstr. 2, 04103 Leipzig, Germany

^d Institute of Physics, University of Münster and Center for Nanotechnology, D-48149 Münster, Germany

^e Instituto Madrileño de Estudios Avanzados en Nanociencia (IMDEA Nanociencia), Campus de Cantoblanco, E-28049 Madrid, Spain

Abstract

We present photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy measurements of single-layer MoSe₂ as a function of uniform uniaxial strain. A simple clamping and bending method is described that allows for application of uniaxial strain to layered, 2D materials with strains up to 1.1% without slippage. Using this technique, we find that the electronic band gap of single layer MoSe₂ can be reversibly tuned by −27 ± 2 meV per percent of strain. This is in agreement with our density-functional theory calculations, which estimate a modulation of −32 meV per percent of strain, taking into account the role of deformation of the underlying substrate upon bending. Finally, due to its narrow PL spectra as compared with that of MoS₂, we show that MoSe₂ provides a more precise determination of small changes in strain making it the ideal 2D material for strain applications.

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/C5NR08219F
Article type: Communication
Submitted: 20 Nov 2015
Accepted: 13 Jan 2016
First published: 14 Jan 2016
This article is Open Access

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Nanoscale, 2016,8, 2589-2593

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Precise and reversible band gap tuning in single-layer MoSe₂ by uniaxial strain

J. O. Island, A. Kuc, E. H. Diependaal, R. Bratschitsch, H. S. J. van der Zant, T. Heine and A. Castellanos-Gomez, Nanoscale, 2016, 8, 2589 DOI: 10.1039/C5NR08219F

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