arXiv subjects

Chun-Yuan Wang

Publications and source records attributed to Chun-Yuan Wang.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2020

Phonon Renormalization in Reconstructed MoS$_2$ Moiré Superlattices

In moiré crystals formed by stacking van der Waals (vdW) materials, surprisingly diverse correlated electronic phases and optical properties can be realized by a subtle change in the twist angle. Here, we discover that phonon spectra are also renormalized in MoS$_2$ twisted bilayers, adding a new perspective to moiré physics. Over a range of small twist angles, the phonon spectra evolve rapidly due to ultra-strong coupling between different phonon modes and atomic reconstructions of the moiré pattern. We develop a new low-energy continuum model for phonons that overcomes the outstanding challenge of calculating properties of large moiré supercells and successfully captures essential experimental observations. Remarkably, simple optical spectroscopy experiments can provide information on strain and lattice distortions in moiré crystals with nanometer-size supercells. The newly developed theory promotes a comprehensive and unified understanding of structural, optical, and electronic properties of moiré superlattices.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2020

Unveiling Defect-Mediated Carrier Dynamics in Monolayer Semiconductors by Spatiotemporal Microwave Imaging

The optoelectronic properties of atomically thin transition-metal dichalcogenides are strongly correlated with the presence of defects in the materials, which are not necessarily detrimental for certain applications. For instance, defects can lead to an enhanced photoconduction, a complicated process involving charge generation and recombination in the time domain and carrier transport in the spatial domain. Here, we report the simultaneous spatial and temporal photoconductivity imaging in two types of WS2 monolayers by laser-illuminated microwave impedance microscopy. The diffusion length and carrier lifetime were directly extracted from the spatial profile and temporal relaxation of microwave signals respectively. Time-resolved experiments indicate that the critical process for photo-excited carriers is the escape of holes from trap states, which prolongs the apparent lifetime of mobile electrons in the conduction band. As a result, counterintuitively, the photoconductivity is stronger in CVD samples than exfoliated monolayers with a lower defect density. Our work reveals the intrinsic time and length scales of electrical response to photo-excitation in van der Waals materials, which is essential for their applications in novel optoelectronic devices.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2019

Moiré Potential Impedes Interlayer Exciton Diffusion in van der Waals Heterostructures

The properties of van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures are drastically altered by a tunable moiré superlattice arising from periodic variations of atomic alignment between the layers. Exciton diffusion represents an important channel of energy transport in semiconducting transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs). While early studies performed on TMD heterobilayers have suggested that carriers and excitons exhibit long diffusion lengths, a rich variety of scenarios can exist. In a moiré crystal with a large supercell size and deep potential, interlayer excitons may be completely localized. As the moiré period reduces at a larger twist angle, excitons can tunnel between supercells and diffuse over a longer lifetime. The diffusion length should be the longest in commensurate heterostructures where the moiré superlattice is completely absent. In this study, we experimentally demonstrate that the moiré potential impedes interlayer exciton diffusion by comparing a number of WSe2/MoSe2 heterostructures prepared with chemical vapor deposition and mechanical stacking with accurately controlled twist angles. Our results provide critical guidance to developing 'twistronic' devices that explore the moiré superlattice to engineer material properties.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2018

Single Crystalline Silver Films for Plasmonics: From Monolayer to Optically Thick Film

Epitaxial growth of single crystalline noble metals on dielectric substrates has received tremendous attention recently due to their technological potentials as low loss plasmonic materials. Currently there are two different growth approaches, each with its strengths and weaknesses. One adopts a sophisticated molecular beam epitaxial procedure to grow atomically smooth epitaxial Ag films. However, the procedure is rather slow and becomes impractical to grow films with thickness > 50 nm. Another approach adopts a growth process using rapid e-beam deposition which is capable of growing single crystalline Ag films in the thick regime (> 300 nm). However, the rapid growth procedure makes it difficult to control film thickness precisely, i.e., the method is not applicable to growing thin epitaxial films. Here we report a universal approach to grow atomically smooth epitaxial Ag films with precise thickness control from a few monolayers to the optically thick regime, overcoming the limitations of the two aforementioned methods. In addition, we develop an in-situ growth of aluminum oxide as the capping layer which exhibits excellent properties protecting the epitaxial Ag films. The performance of the epitaxial Ag films as a function of the film thickness is investigated by directly measuring the propagation length of the surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) as well as their device performance to support a waveguide plasmonic nanolaser in infrared incorporating an InGaAsP quantum well as the gain media.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2018

Routing Valley Excitons in a Monolayer MoS2 with a Metasurface

Excitons in monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) are formed at K and K' points at the boundary of the Brillouin zone. They acquire a valley degree of freedom, which may be used as a complementary platform for information transport and processing. In a different context, metasurfaces consisting of engineered arrays of polarizable inclusions have enabled the manipulation of light in unprecedented ways, and found applications in imaging, optical information processing, and cloaking. Here, we demonstrate that, by coupling a MoS2 monolayer to a suitably designed metasurface consisting of asymmetric grooves, valley polarized excitons can be sorted and spatially separated even at room temperature. Emission from valley excitons is also separated in K-space, i.e., photons with opposite helicity are emitted to different directions. Our work demonstrates that metasurfaces can facilitate valley transport and establish an interface between valleytronic and photonic devices, thus addressing outstanding challenges in the nascent field of valleytronics.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗