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Title: Valley relaxation of resident electrons and holes in a monolayer semiconductor: Dependence on carrier density and the role of substrate-induced disorder

Abstract

Using time-resolved optical Kerr rotation, here we measure the low-temperature valley dynamics of resident electrons and holes in exfoliated WSe 2 monolayers as a systematic function of carrier density. In an effort to reconcile the many disparate timescales of carrier valley dynamics in monolayer semiconductors reported to date, we directly compare the doping-dependent valley relaxation in two electrostatically gated WSe 2 monolayers having different dielectric environments. In a fully encapsulated structure ( hBN / WSe 2 / hBN , where hBN is hexagonal boron nitride), valley relaxation is found to be monoexponential. The valley relaxation time τ v is quite long ( ~ 10 μ s ) at low carrier densities, but decreases rapidly to less than 100 ns at high electron or hole densities 2 × 1012 cm 2 . In contrast, in a partially encapsulated WSe 2 monolayer placed directly on silicon dioxide ( hBN / WSe 2 / SiO 2 ) , carrier valley relaxation is multiexponential at low carrier densities. The difference is attributed to environmental disorder from the SiO 2 substrate. Unexpectedly, very small out-of-plane magnetic fields can increase τ v , especially in the hBN / WSe 2 / SiO 2 structure, suggesting that localized states induced by disorder can play an important role in depolarizing spins and mediating the valley relaxation of resident carriers in monolayer transition-metal dichalcogenide semiconductors.

Authors:
ORCiD logo [1];  [1];  [2];  [2]; ORCiD logo [2]; ORCiD logo [1]
  1. Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States). National High Magnetic Field Lab. (MagLab)
  2. Arizona State Univ., Tempe, AZ (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) Program; National Science Foundation (NSF)
OSTI Identifier:
1804434
Report Number(s):
LA-UR-21-20744
Journal ID: ISSN 2475-9953; TRN: US2212666
Grant/Contract Number:  
89233218CNA000001; SC0020653; DMR-1644779; DMR-1955889; CMMI-1933214; 1904716; 1935994; DMR-1552220
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Physical Review Materials
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 5; Journal Issue: 4; Journal ID: ISSN 2475-9953
Publisher:
American Physical Society (APS)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; high magnetic field science; valleytronics; transition-metal dichalcogenide; two-dimensional electron system

Citation Formats

Li, Jing, Goryca, M., Yumigeta, K., Li, H., Tongay, S., and Crooker, Scott A. Valley relaxation of resident electrons and holes in a monolayer semiconductor: Dependence on carrier density and the role of substrate-induced disorder. United States: N. p., 2021. Web. doi:10.1103/physrevmaterials.5.044001.
Li, Jing, Goryca, M., Yumigeta, K., Li, H., Tongay, S., & Crooker, Scott A. Valley relaxation of resident electrons and holes in a monolayer semiconductor: Dependence on carrier density and the role of substrate-induced disorder. United States. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevmaterials.5.044001
Li, Jing, Goryca, M., Yumigeta, K., Li, H., Tongay, S., and Crooker, Scott A. Mon . "Valley relaxation of resident electrons and holes in a monolayer semiconductor: Dependence on carrier density and the role of substrate-induced disorder". United States. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevmaterials.5.044001. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1804434.
@article{osti_1804434,
title = {Valley relaxation of resident electrons and holes in a monolayer semiconductor: Dependence on carrier density and the role of substrate-induced disorder},
author = {Li, Jing and Goryca, M. and Yumigeta, K. and Li, H. and Tongay, S. and Crooker, Scott A.},
abstractNote = {Using time-resolved optical Kerr rotation, here we measure the low-temperature valley dynamics of resident electrons and holes in exfoliated WSe2 monolayers as a systematic function of carrier density. In an effort to reconcile the many disparate timescales of carrier valley dynamics in monolayer semiconductors reported to date, we directly compare the doping-dependent valley relaxation in two electrostatically gated WSe2 monolayers having different dielectric environments. In a fully encapsulated structure (hBN/WSe2/hBN, where hBN is hexagonal boron nitride), valley relaxation is found to be monoexponential. The valley relaxation time τv is quite long (~10μs) at low carrier densities, but decreases rapidly to less than 100 ns at high electron or hole densities ≳2×1012cm–2. In contrast, in a partially encapsulated WSe2 monolayer placed directly on silicon dioxide (hBN/WSe2/SiO2), carrier valley relaxation is multiexponential at low carrier densities. The difference is attributed to environmental disorder from the SiO2 substrate. Unexpectedly, very small out-of-plane magnetic fields can increase τv, especially in the hBN/WSe2/SiO2 structure, suggesting that localized states induced by disorder can play an important role in depolarizing spins and mediating the valley relaxation of resident carriers in monolayer transition-metal dichalcogenide semiconductors.},
doi = {10.1103/physrevmaterials.5.044001},
journal = {Physical Review Materials},
number = 4,
volume = 5,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Apr 05 00:00:00 EDT 2021},
month = {Mon Apr 05 00:00:00 EDT 2021}
}

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Works referencing / citing this record:

Valley polarization fluctuations, bistability, and switching in two-dimensional semiconductors
journal, July 2022