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Devanshu Varshney

Publications and source records attributed to Devanshu Varshney.

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Unveiling Davydov-Split Excitons in a Template-Engineered Molecular-Graphene Heterostructure

The realization of high-fidelity organic-inorganic quantum emulators is frequently hindered by the interfacial imperfections introduced during device fabrication. Here, we demonstrate a robust nanofabrication protocol that restores the atomic-scale purity of epitaxial graphene on SiC to UHV-equivalent levels, as confirmed by Low-Energy Electron Diffraction, and Microscopy. This pristine interface enables the emergence of macroscopic excitonic coherence in epitaxial overlayers of 2,3,6,7,10,11-hexamethoxytriphenylene (HMTP), a model molecular system characterized by intense electron-phonon coupling. Through a combination of high-sensitivity Fourier Transform Photo-current Spectroscopy, photoluminescence, and dynamic Raman mapping, we resolve a complex vibronic manifold governed by Davydov splitting. We show that the $P6_3/m$ crystalline symmetry of the HMTP overlayer lifts the degeneracy of the HOMO-LUMO transition, creating discrete bright and dark excitonic branches. Using an analytical tight-binding model parameterized by ARPES-derived intermolecular coupling and Raman vibrational modes validated by molecular dynamics simulations, we quantify the polarization energy, the Huang-Rhys factor, and Herzberg-Teller corrections to the Franck-Condon model. Our results reveal that the dark-state branch dominates the radiative channel, following a polaron-mediated relaxation pathway consistent with Kasha's rule. By reconciling macroscopic device architecture with UHV-level surface science, this work establishes a scalable platform for the study of dark-exciton dynamics and the development of solid-state molecular quantum memories.

cond-mat.mes-hall

Interfacial Coupling Controls Molecular Epitaxy of HMTP on Graphene/SiC

Epitaxial growth critically influences structural and electronic properties of organic semiconductors. Graphene serves as a prominent van der Waals template for molecular self-assembly; however, graphene on SiC is intrinsically heterogeneous, with decoupled monolayer graphene coexisting with residuals of a covalently bound buffer layer, which may affect molecular ordering. Here, we track the ordering of the molecular donor, 2,3,6,7,10,11-hexamethoxytriphenylene (HMTP), from the first layer to thin films, combining low-energy electron microscopy and diffraction with X-ray diffraction. HMTP forms highly ordered epitaxial layers on single-layer graphene, whereas growth on the buffer layer initiates as amorphous and evolves into polycrystalline films with weak orientation with respect to the substrate. Crucially, hydrogen intercalation decouples the buffer layer, converting it into quasi-freestanding monolayer graphene and restoring epitaxial growth. These findings demonstrate that interfacial coupling governs molecular epitaxy on graphene/SiC, and interface engineering via hydrogen intercalation provides a scalable route to control organic thin-film crystallinity on graphene.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci