Jonghwan Kim

Novel physical phenomena can emerge in low-dimensional nanomaterials. Bulk MoS(2), a prototypical metal dichalcogenide, is an indirect bandgap semiconductor with negligible photoluminescence. When the MoS(2) crystal is thinned to monolayer, however, a strong photoluminescence emerges, indicating an indirect to direct bandgap transition in this d-electron system. This observation shows that quantum confinement in layered d-electron materials like MoS(2) provides new opportunities for engineering

The valley pseudospin is a degree of freedom that emerges in atomically thin two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides (MX2). The capability to manipulate it, in analogy to the control of spin in spintronics, can open up exciting opportunities. Here, we demonstrate that an ultrafast and ultrahigh valley pseudo-magnetic field can be generated by using circularly polarized femtosecond pulses to selectively control the valley degree of freedom in monolayer MX2. Using ultrafast pump-probe spe

layer. These valley-polarized holes exhibit near-unity valley polarization and ultralong valley lifetime: We observe a valley-polarized hole population lifetime of more than 1 μs and a valley depolarization lifetime (that is, intervalley scattering lifetime) of more than 40 μs at 10 K. The near-perfect generation of valley-polarized holes in TMD heterostructures, combined with ultralong valley lifetime, which is orders of magnitude longer than previous results, opens up new opportunities for nov

Tracking the spin-valley current Taking advantage of the electron's spin and valley degrees of freedom requires a method for generating currents of carriers that have a particular spin or come from a particular valley in the electronic structure. Jin et al. used a heterostructure made out of adjacent layers of WSe 2 and WS 2 to create a spin-valley diffusion current without applying an external electric field. Instead, they used circularly polarized laser light to initiate the diffusion and a se

Abstract Doping of traditional semiconductors has enabled technological applications in modern electronics by tailoring their chemical, optical and electronic properties. However, substitutional doping in two-dimensional semiconductors is at a comparatively early stage, and the resultant effects are less explored. In this work, we report unusual effects of degenerate doping with Nb on structural, electronic and optical characteristics of MoS 2 crystals. The doping readily induces a structural tr

Atomically thin two-dimensional (2D) layered materials, including graphene, boron nitride, and transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), can exhibit novel phenomena distinct from their bulk counterparts and hold great promise for novel electronic and optoelectronic applications. Controlled growth of such 2D materials with different thickness, composition, and symmetry are of central importance to realize their potential. In particular, the ability to control the symmetry of TMD layers is highly d

High quality WSe2 films have been grown on bilayer graphene (BLG) with layer-by-layer control of thickness using molecular beam epitaxy. The combination of angle-resolved photoemission, scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy, and optical absorption measurements reveal the atomic and electronic structures evolution and optical response of WSe2/BLG. We observe that a bilayer of WSe2 is a direct bandgap semiconductor, when integrated in a BLG-based heterostructure, thus shifting the direct-indi

Interactions between metal and atomically thin two-dimensional (2D) materials can exhibit interesting physical behaviors that are of both fundamental interests and technological importance. In addition to forming a metal–semiconductor Schottky junction that is critical for electrical transport, metal deposited on 2D layered materials can also generate a local mechanical strain. We investigate the local strain at the boundaries between metal (Ag, Au) nanoparticles and MX2 (M = Mo, W; X = S) layer

Abstract Recent increases in the demand for mobile devices have stimulated the development of nonvolatile memory devices with high performance. In this Communication, we describe the fabrication of low‐cost, high‐performance, digital nonvolatile memory devices based on semiconducting polymers, poly( o ‐anthranilic acid) and poly( o ‐anthranilic acid‐ co ‐aniline). These memory devices have ground‐breaking and novel current–voltage switching characteristics. The devices are switchable in a very l

Abstract Monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) undergo substantial changes in the single-particle band structure and excitonic optical response upon the addition of just one layer. As opposed to the single-layer limit, the bandgap of bilayer (BL) TMD semiconductors is indirect which results in reduced photoluminescence with richly structured spectra that have eluded a detailed understanding to date. Here, we provide a closed interpretation of cryogenic emission from BL WSe 2 as a rep