Showing papers by "Mildred S. Dresselhaus published in 2016"

Transport Properties of a MoS2/WSe2 Heterojunction Transistor and Its Potential for Application

Abstract: This paper studies band-to-band tunneling in the transverse and lateral directions of van der Waals MoS2/WSe2 heterojunctions. We observe room-temperature negative differential resistance (NDR) in a heterojunction diode comprised of few-layer WSe2 stacked on multilayer MoS2. The presence of NDR is attributed to the lateral band-to-band tunneling at the edge of the MoS2/WSe2 heterojunction. The backward tunneling diode shows an average conductance slope of 75 mV/dec with a high curvature coefficient of 62 V(-1). Associated with the tunnel-diode characteristics, a positive-to-negative transconductance in the MoS2/WSe2 heterojunction transistors is observed. The transition is induced by strong interlayer coupling between the films, which results in charge density and energy-band modulation. The sign change in transconductance is particularly useful for multivalued logic (MVL) circuits, and we therefore propose and demonstrate for the first time an MVL-inverter that shows three levels of logic using one pair of p-type transistors.

MoS2 Field-Effect Transistor with Sub-10 nm Channel Length

Abstract: Atomically thin molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) is an ideal semiconductor material for field-effect transistors (FETs) with sub-10 nm channel lengths. The high effective mass and large bandgap of MoS2 minimize direct source–drain tunneling, while its atomically thin body maximizes the gate modulation efficiency in ultrashort-channel transistors. However, no experimental study to date has approached the sub-10 nm scale due to the multiple challenges related to nanofabrication at this length scale and the high contact resistance traditionally observed in MoS2 transistors. Here, using the semiconducting-to-metallic phase transition of MoS2, we demonstrate sub-10 nm channel-length transistor fabrication by directed self-assembly patterning of mono- and trilayer MoS2. This is done in a 7.5 nm half-pitch periodic chain of transistors where semiconducting (2H) MoS2 channel regions are seamlessly connected to metallic-phase (1T′) MoS2 access and contact regions. The resulting 7.5 nm channel-length MoS2 FET has a low ...

Anisotropic Electron-Photon and Electron-Phonon Interactions in Black Phosphorus

Abstract: Orthorhombic black phosphorus (BP) and other layered materials, such as gallium telluride (GaTe) and tin selenide (SnSe), stand out among two-dimensional (2D) materials owing to their anisotropic in-plane structure. This anisotropy adds a new dimension to the properties of 2D materials and stimulates the development of angle-resolved photonics and electronics. However, understanding the effect of anisotropy has remained unsatisfactory to date, as shown by a number of inconsistencies in the recent literature. We use angle-resolved absorption and Raman spectroscopies to investigate the role of anisotropy on the electron–photon and electron–phonon interactions in BP. We highlight, both experimentally and theoretically, a nontrivial dependence between anisotropy and flake thickness and photon and phonon energies. We show that once understood, the anisotropic optical absorption appears to be a reliable and simple way to identify the crystalline orientation of BP, which cannot be determined from Raman spectrosc...

Parallel Stitching of 2D Materials.

Abstract: Diverse parallel stitched 2D heterostructures, including metal-semiconductor, semiconductor-semiconductor, and insulator-semiconductor, are synthesized directly through selective "sowing" of aromatic molecules as the seeds in the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method. The methodology enables the large-scale fabrication of lateral heterostructures, which offers tremendous potential for its application in integrated circuits.

In-Plane Optical Anisotropy of Layered Gallium Telluride

Abstract: Layered gallium telluride (GaTe) has attracted much attention recently, due to its extremely high photoresponsivity, short response time, and promising thermoelectric performance. Different from most commonly studied two-dimensional (2D) materials, GaTe has in-plane anisotropy and a low symmetry with the C2h3 space group. Investigating the in-plane optical anisotropy, including the electron–photon and electron–phonon interactions of GaTe is essential in realizing its applications in optoelectronics and thermoelectrics. In this work, the anisotropic light-matter interactions in the low-symmetry material GaTe are studied using anisotropic optical extinction and Raman spectroscopies as probes. Our polarized optical extinction spectroscopy reveals the weak anisotropy in optical extinction spectra for visible light of multilayer GaTe. Polarized Raman spectroscopy proves to be sensitive to the crystalline orientation of GaTe, and shows the intricate dependences of Raman anisotropy on flake thickness, photon and...

Low-Frequency Interlayer Raman Modes to Probe Interface of Twisted Bilayer MoS2

Abstract: van der Waals homo- and heterostructures assembled by stamping monolayers together present optoelectronic properties suitable for diverse applications. Understanding the details of the interlayer stacking and resulting coupling is crucial for tuning these properties. We investigated the low-frequency interlayer shear and breathing Raman modes (<50 cm–1) in twisted bilayer MoS2 by Raman spectroscopy and first-principles modeling. Twisting significantly alters the interlayer stacking and coupling, leading to notable frequency and intensity changes of low-frequency modes. The frequency variation can be up to 8 cm–1 and the intensity can vary by a factor of ∼5 for twisting angles near 0° and 60°, where the stacking is a mixture of high-symmetry stacking patterns and is thus sensitive to twisting. For twisting angles between 20° and 40°, the interlayer coupling is nearly constant because the stacking results in mismatched lattices over the entire sample. It follows that the Raman signature is relatively unifor...

Synthesis of High-Quality Large-Area Homogenous 1T' MoTe2 from Chemical Vapor Deposition.

Abstract: High-quality large-area few-layer 1T' MoTe2 films with high homogeneity are synthesized by the controlled tellurization of MoO3 film. The Mo precursor plays a key role in determining the quality and morphology of the 1T' MoTe2 . Furthermore, the amount of Te strongly influences the phase of the MoTe2 . The growth method paves the way toward the scalable production of 1T' MoTe2 -based applications.

Controlled Sculpture of Black Phosphorus Nanoribbons

Abstract: Black phosphorus (BP) is a highly anisotropic allotrope of phosphorus with great promise for fast functional electronics and optoelectronics. We demonstrate the controlled structural modification of few-layer BP along arbitrary crystal directions with sub-nanometer precision for the formation of few-nanometer-wide armchair and zigzag BP nanoribbons. Nanoribbons are fabricated, along with nanopores and nanogaps, using a combination of mechanical–liquid exfoliation and in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning TEM nanosculpting. We predict that the few-nanometer-wide BP nanoribbons realized experimentally possess clear one-dimensional quantum confinement, even when the systems are made up of a few layers. The demonstration of this procedure is key for the development of BP-based electronics, optoelectronics, thermoelectrics, and other applications in reduced dimensions.

Quantum Effects in the Thermoelectric Power Factor of Low-Dimensional Semiconductors

Abstract: We theoretically investigate the interplay between the confinement length L and the thermal de Broglie wavelength Λ to optimize the thermoelectric power factor of semiconducting materials. An analytical formula for the power factor is derived based on the one-band model assuming nondegenerate semiconductors to describe quantum effects on the power factor of the low-dimensional semiconductors. The power factor is enhanced for one- and two-dimensional semiconductors when L is smaller than Λ of the semiconductors. In this case, the low-dimensional semiconductors having L smaller than their Λ will give a better thermoelectric performance compared to their bulk counterpart. On the other hand, when L is larger than Λ, bulk semiconductors may give a higher power factor compared to the lower dimensional ones.

A Rational Strategy for Graphene Transfer on Substrates with Rough Features.

Abstract: Graphene grown by chemical vapor deposition is transferred by a very simple, yet effective approach from the growth substrate onto substrates with rough features. This novel and facile method not only results in satisfactory transfer on substrates with terraces or grooves, but also gives rise to a successful result for uneven growth substrates.

Anisotropic Tuning of Graphite Thermal Conductivity by Lithium Intercalation

Abstract: Understanding thermal transport in lithium intercalated layered materials is not only important for managing heat generation and dissipation in lithium ion batteries but also the understanding potentially provides a novel way to design materials with reversibly tunable thermal conductivity. In this work, the thermal conductivity of lithium–graphite intercalation compounds (LixC6) is calculated using molecular dynamics simulations as a function of the amount of lithium intercalated. We found that intercalation of lithium has an anisotropic effect on tuning the thermal conductivity: the thermal conductivity in the basal plane decreases monotonically from 1232 W/m·K of pristine graphite to 444 W/m·K of the fully lithiated LiC6, while the thermal conductivity along the c-axis decreases first from 6.5 W/m·K for graphite to 1.3 W/m·K for LiC18 and then increases to 5.0 W/m·K for LiC6 as the lithium composition increases. More importantly, we provide the very first atomic-scale insight into the effect of lithium...

Ultrasmall Mode Volumes in Plasmonic Cavities of Nanoparticle‐On‐Mirror Structures

Abstract: The mode volume and Purcell factor are two important parameters to assess the performance of optical nanocavities. Achieving small mode volumes and high Purcell factors for nanocavity structures while simplifying their fabrication has been a major task to realize high-performance and large-scale photonic devices and systems. Different optical resonators based on nanoparticle-on-mirror (NPoM) structures are systematically analyzed, which are easy to fabricate and flexible to use. Direct comparison of these optical resonators is made through finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulations. The achievement of ultrasmall mode volumes below 10-7 (λ/n)3 based on the NPoM structure through FDTD simulations is demonstrated by rationally selecting the structural parameters. Such NPoM structures provide a decent Purcell factor on the order of 107 , which can effectively enhance spontaneous emission and facilitate a number of photonic applications. The simulation results are confirmed by dark field scattering and second-harmonic generation measurements. This work is scientifically important and offers practical guidelines for the design of optical resonators for state-of-the-art optical and photonic devices.

Phonon Localization in Heat Conduction

Abstract: Departures in phonon heat conduction from diffusion have been extensively observed in nanostructures through their thermal conductivity reduction and largely explained with classical size effects neglecting phonon's wave nature. Here, we report localization-behavior in phonon heat conduction due to multiple scattering and interference of phonon waves, observed through measurements of the thermal conductivities of GaAs/AlAs superlattices with ErAs nanodots randomly distributed at the interfaces. Near room temperature, the measured thermal conductivities increased with increasing number of SL periods and eventually saturated, indicating a transition from ballistic-to-diffusive transport. At low temperatures, the thermal conductivities of the samples with ErAs dots first increased and then decreased with an increasing number of periods, signaling phonon wave localization. This Anderson localization behavior is also validated via atomistic Green's function simulations. The observation of phonon localization in heat conduction is surprising due to the broadband nature of thermal transport. This discovery suggests a new path forward for engineering phonon thermal transport.

Cartilage-inspired superelastic ultradurable graphene aerogels prepared by the selective gluing of intersheet joints

Abstract: In this study, we demonstrate a cartilage-inspired superelastic and ultradurable nanocomposite strategy for the selective inclusion of viscoelastic poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) into graphene sheet junctions to create effective stress-transfer pathways within three-dimensional (3D) graphene aerogels (GAs). Inspired by the joint architectures in the human body, where small amounts of soft cartilage connect stiff (or hard) but hollow (and thus lightweight) bones, the 3D internetworked GA@PDMS achieves synergistic toughening. The resulting GA@PDMS nanocomposites exhibit fully reversible structural deformations (99.8% recovery even at a 90% compressive strain) and high compressive mechanical strength (448.2 kPa at a compressive strain of 90%) at repeated compression cycles. Owing to the combination of excellent mechanical and electrical properties, the GA@PDMS nanocomposites are used as signal transducers for strain sensors, showing very short response and recovery times (in the millisecond range) with reliable sensitivity and extreme durability. Furthermore, the proposed system is applied to electronic scales with a large detectable weight of about 4600 times greater than its own weight. Such bio-inspired cartilage architecture opens the door to fabricate new 3D multifunctional and mechanically durable nanocomposites for emerging applications, which include sensors, actuators, and flexible devices.

Minimum Thermal Conductivity in Weak Topological Insulators with Bismuth-Based Stack Structure

Abstract: Contrary to the conventional belief that the consideration for topological insulators (TIs) as potential thermoelectrics is due to their excellent electrical properties benefiting from the topological surface states, this work shows that the 3D weak TIs, formed by alternating stacks of quantum spin Hall layers and normal insulator (NI) layers, can also be decent thermoelectrics because of their focus on minimum thermal conductivity. The minimum lattice thermal conductivity is experimentally confirmed in Bi14Rh3I9 and theoretically predicted for Bi2TeI at room temperature. It is revealed that the topologically “trivial” NI layers play a surprisingly critical role in hindering phonon propagation. The weak bonding in the NI layers gives rise to significantly low sound velocity, and the localized low-frequency vibrations of the NI layers cause strong acoustic–optical interactions and lattice anharmonicity. All these features are favorable for the realization of exceptionally low lattice thermal conductivity, and therefore present remarkable opportunities for developing high-performance thermoelectrics in weak TIs.

Enhanced Thermionic-Dominated Photoresponse in Graphene Schottky Junctions.

Abstract: Vertical heterostructures of van der Waals materials enable new pathways to tune charge and energy transport characteristics in nanoscale systems. We propose that graphene Schottky junctions can host a special kind of photoresponse that is characterized by strongly coupled heat and charge flows that run vertically out of the graphene plane. This regime can be accessed when vertical energy transport mediated by thermionic emission of hot carriers overwhelms electron–lattice cooling as well as lateral diffusive energy transport. As such, the power pumped into the system is efficiently extracted across the entire graphene active area via thermionic emission of hot carriers into a semiconductor material. Experimental signatures of this regime include a large and tunable internal responsivity R with a nonmonotonic temperature dependence. In particular, R peaks at electronic temperatures on the order of the Schottky barrier potential ϕ and has a large upper limit R≤e/ϕ (e/ϕ = 10 A/W when ϕ = 100 meV). Our propo...

A revolution of nanoscale dimensions

Abstract: The continued drive to shrink the size and increase the functionality of electronic devices has seen the influence of nanotechnology strengthen as it offers materials with a layer thickness of one or a few atoms. Technological changes, awaited by computational scientists, are afoot. On the brink of the next revolution in electronic systems, nanomaterials and, in particular materials that are a few atoms thick are becoming increasingly apparent. Concurrently, computational scientists remain eager to see how Moore's Law will advance.

Transport Properties of a MoS₂/WSe₂ Heterojunction Transistor and Its Potential for Application

Abstract: This paper studies band-to-band tunneling in the transverse and lateral directions of van der Waals MoS2/WSe2 heterojunctions. We observe room-temperature negative differential resistance (NDR) in a heterojunction diode comprised of few-layer WSe2 stacked on multilayer MoS2. The presence of NDR is attributed to the lateral band-to-band tunneling at the edge of the MoS2/WSe2 heterojunction. The backward tunneling diode shows an average conductance slope of 75 mV/dec with a high curvature coefficient of 62 V−1. Associated with the tunnel-diode characteristics, a positive-to-negative transconductance in the MoS2/WSe2 heterojunction transistors is observed. The transition is induced by strong interlayer coupling between the films, which results in charge density and energyband modulation. The sign change in transconductance is particularly useful for multivalued logic (MVL) circuits, and we therefore propose and demonstrate for the first time an MVL-inverter that shows three levels of logic using one pair of p-type transistors.

Modification of the electronic properties of hexagonal boron-nitride in BN/graphene vertical heterostructures

Abstract: Van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures consist of isolated atomic planar structures, assembled layer-by-layer into desired structures in a well-defined sequence. Graphene deposited on hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) has been first considered as a testbed system for vdW heterostructures, and many others have been demonstrated both theoretically and experimentally, revealing many attractive properties and phenomena. However, much less emphasis has been placed on how graphene actively affects h-BN properties. Here, we perform local probe measurements on single-layer h-BN grown over graphene and highlight the manifestation of a proximity effect that significantly affects the electronic properties of h-BN due to its coupling with the underlying graphene. We find electronic states originating from the graphene layer and the Cu substrate to be injected into the wide electronic gap of the h-BN top layer. Such proximity effect is further confirmed in a study of the variation of h-BN in-gap states with interlayer couplings, elucidated using a combination of topographical/spectroscopic measurements and first-principles density functional theory calculations. The findings of this work indicate the potential of mutually engineering electronic properties of the components of vdW heterostructures.

Universal methodology to synthesize diverse two-dimensional heterostructures

Abstract: A two-dimensional heterostructure is synthesized by producing a patterned first two-dimensional material on a growth substrate. The first two-dimensional material is patterned to define at least one void through which an exposed region of the growth substrate is exposed. Seed molecules are selectively deposited either on the exposed region of the growth substrate or on the patterned first two-dimensional material. A second two-dimensional material that is distinct from the first two-dimensional material is then grown from the deposited seed molecules.

Canonical Quantization of Crystal Dislocation and Electron-Dislocation Scattering in an Isotropic Media

Abstract: Crystal dislocations govern the plastic mechanical properties of materials but also affect the electrical and optical properties. However, a fundamental and quantitative quantum-mechanical theory of dislocation remains undiscovered for decades. Here by introducing a new quasiparticle \"dislon\", we present an exact Hamiltonian-based theory for both edge and screw dislocations in an isotropic medium, where the effective Hamiltonian of a single dislocation line can be written in a harmonic-oscillator-like form, with a closed-form quantized 1D phonon-like excitation. Moreover a closed-form, position-dependent electron-dislocation coupling strength is obtained, from which we compute the electron self-energy and relaxation time which can be reduced to well-known classical results. This framework opens up vast possibilities to study the effect of dislocations on other materials' non-mechanical properties consistently.

Phonon-assisted indirect transitions in angle-resolved photoemission spectra of graphite and graphene

Abstract: Indirect transitions of electrons in graphene and graphite are investigated by means of angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) with several different incident photon energies and light polarizations. The theoretical calculations of the indirect transition for graphene and for a single crystal of graphite are compared with the experimental measurements for highly-oriented pyrolytic graphite and a single crystal of graphite. The dispersion relations for the transverse optical (TO) and the out-of-plane longitudinal acoustic (ZA) phonon modes of graphite and the TO phonon mode of graphene can be extracted from the inelastic ARPES intensity. We find that the TO phonon mode for $\mathbf{k}$ points along the $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Gamma}}\text{\ensuremath{-}}K$ and $K\text{\ensuremath{-}}M\text{\ensuremath{-}}{K}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ directions in the Brillouin zone can be observed in the ARPES spectra of graphite and graphene by using a photon energy $\ensuremath{\approx}11.1$ eV. The relevant mechanism in the ARPES process for this case is the resonant indirect transition. On the other hand, the ZA phonon mode of graphite can be observed by using a photon energy $\ensuremath{\approx}6.3$ eV through a nonresonant indirect transition, while the ZA phonon mode of graphene within the same mechanism should not be observed.

Quenching of photoluminescence of Rhodamine 6G molecules on functionalized graphene

Abstract: The photoluminescence quenching of the Rhodamine 6G molecules deposited on fluorinated, thiophenol-functionalized, and 4-nitrophenyl-functionalized graphene layers were studied. Both the spectroscopic measurements and the atomic force microscopy imaging confirmed that Rhodamine 6G molecules are present on graphene, functionalized graphene and the bare substrate. The Raman signals of the molecules are enhanced for all the probed functionalized graphene samples. On the other hand, the photoluminescence from the Rhodamine 6G is suppressed when the molecules are in contact with a graphene layer for all types of probed functionalized graphene. The large Raman maps measured on the tested samples showed that the quenching of the photoluminescence is not significantly affected by the local environment.

Serially connected monolayer MoS FETs with channel patterned by a 7.5 nm resolution directed self-assembly lithography

Abstract: United States. Office of Naval Research. Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers

Parallel Stitching of Two-Dimensional Materials

Abstract: Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies (Award No. 023674)