Stacking‐Order‐Driven Optical Properties and Carrier Dynamics in ReS2

• Published in: Advanced materials (Weinheim) Vol. 32; no. 22; pp. e1908311 - n/a
• Main Authors: Zhou, Yongjian, Maity, Nikhilesh, Rai, Amritesh, Juneja, Rinkle, Meng, Xianghai, Roy, Anupam, Zhang, Yanyao, Xu, Xiaochuan, Lin, Jung‐Fu, Banerjee, Sanjay K., Singh, Abhishek K., Wang, Yaguo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Weinheim Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.06.2020
• Subjects: 2D materials; carrier dynamics first‐principles calculations; Dynamics; Electronic devices; Excitation spectra; Excitons; Interlayers; Materials science; Optical properties; Photoluminescence; pump–probe; Raman spectra; ReS2; Scanning transmission electron microscopy; Spectrum analysis; Stacking; Unit cell
• ISSN: 0935-9648; 1521-4095; 1521-4095
• DOI: 10.1002/adma.201908311

Two distinct stacking orders in ReS2 are identified without ambiguity and their influence on vibrational, optical properties and carrier dynamics are investigated. With atomic resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), two stacking orders are determined as AA stacking with negligible displacement across layers, and AB stacking with about a one‐unit cell displacement along the a axis. First‐principles calculations confirm that these two stacking orders correspond to two local energy minima. Raman spectra inform a consistent difference of modes I & III, about 13 cm−1 for AA stacking, and 20 cm−1 for AB stacking, making a simple tool for determining the stacking orders in ReS2. Polarized photoluminescence (PL) reveals that AB stacking possesses blueshifted PL peak positions, and broader peak widths, compared with AA stacking, indicating stronger interlayer interaction. Transient transmission measured with femtosecond pump–probe spectroscopy suggests exciton dynamics being more anisotropic in AB stacking, where excited state absorption related to Exc. III mode disappears when probe polarization aligns perpendicular to b axis. The findings underscore the stacking‐order driven optical properties and carrier dynamics of ReS2, mediate many seemingly contradictory results in the literature, and open up an opportunity to engineer electronic devices with new functionalities by manipulating the stacking order. Two stacking orders of ReS2 are identified. Stacking AA has negligible displacement across layers and stacking AB has a one‐unit cell displacement along the a‐axis. AB stacking has stronger interlayer coupling than AA. The cross‐layer displacement in AB stacking disrupts excited‐state excitons. Vibrational, optical properties and carrier dynamics in two stacking orders are drastically different.