Layer- and Gate-tunable Spin-Orbit Coupling in a High Mobility Few-Layer Semiconductor
D. Shcherbakov, P. Stepanov, S. Memaran, Y. Wang, Y. Xin, J. Yang, K. Wei, R. Baumbach, W. Zheng, K. Watanabe, T. Taniguchi, M. Bockrath, D. Smirnov, T. Siegris… 展开作者
D. Shcherbakov, P. Stepanov, S. Memaran, Y. Wang, Y. Xin, J. Yang, K. Wei, R. Baumbach, W. Zheng, K. Watanabe, T. Taniguchi, M. Bockrath, D. Smirnov, T. Siegrist, W. Windl, L. Balicas, C. N. Lau
Spin-orbit coupling (SOC) is a relativistic effect, where an electron moving in an electric field experiences an effective magnetic field in its rest frame. In crystals without inversion symmetry, it lifts the spin degeneracy and leads to many magnetic, spintronic and topological phenomena and applications. In bulk materials, SOC strength is a constant that cannot be modified. Here we demonstrate SOC and intrinsic spin-splitting in atomically thin InSe, which can be modified over an unprecedentedly large range. From quantum oscillations, we establish that the SOC parameter αis thickness-dependent; it can be continuously modulated over a wide range by an out-of-plane electric field, achieving intrinsic spin splitting tunable between 0 and 20 meV. Surprisingly, αcould be enhanced by an order of magnitude in some devices, suggesting that SOC can be further manipulated. Our work highlights the extraordinary tunability of SOC in 2D materials, which can be harnessed for in operando spintronic and topological devices and applications.
Atomically thin (two-dimensional, 2D) semiconductors have shown great potential as the fundamental building blocks for next-generation electronics. However, all the 2D semiconductors that have been experimentally made so far have room-temperature electron mobility lower than that of bulk silicon, which is not understood. Here, by using first-principles calculations and reformulating the transport equations to isolate and quantify contributions of different mobility-determining factors, we show that the universally low mobility of 2D semiconductors originates from the high 'density of scatterin…
The structure and mobility of dislocations in the layered semiconductor InSe is studied within a multiscale approach based on generalized Peierls--Nabarro model with material-specific parametrization derived from first principles. The plasticity of InSe turns out to be attributed to peculiarities of the generalized stacking fault relief for the interlayer dislocation slips such as existence of the stacking fault with a very low energy and low energy barriers. Our results give a consistent microscopic explanation of recently observed [Science {\bf 369}, 542 (2020)] exceptional plasticity of InS…
High charge mobility in active layers of organic electronic devices is often necessary for their efficient operation. As a result, search for high-mobility materials among the plethora of synthesizable organic semiconductors is of paramount importance for organic electronics. However, a model for rapid but reliable prediction of charge mobility in various organic semiconductors is still lacking. To solve this issue, we propose a simple analytical model that considers the most essential factors governing the charge transport in these materials: intermolecular electronic coupling, charge delocal…
It is investigated that the lateral shifts of the ballistic electrons transmitted through a semiconductor quantum slabs can be negative as well as positive, which are analogous to the anomalous lateral shifts of the transmitted light beam through a dielectric slab. The necessary condition for the shift to be negative is advanced. It is shown that the lateral shifts depend not only on the structure parameters of semiconductor quantum slab, but also on the incidence angle and the incident energy. Numerical calculations further indicate that the lateral shifts can be tuned from negative to positi…
Gate-tunable high-mobility InSb/In_{1-x}Al_{x}Sb quantum wells (QWs) grown on GaAs substrates are reported. The QW two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) channel mobility in excess of 200,000 cm^{2}/Vs is measured at T=1.8K. In asymmetrically remote-doped samples with an HfO_{2} gate dielectric formed by atomic layer deposition, parallel conduction is eliminated and complete 2DEG channel depletion is reached with minimal hysteresis in gate bias response of the 2DEG electron density. The integer quantum Hall effect with Landau level filling factor down to 1 is observed. A high-transparency non-all…
We consider theoretically effects of random charged impurity disorder on the {\it quality} of high-mobility two dimensional (2D) semiconductor structures, explicitly demonstrating that the sample mobility is not necessarily a reliable or universal indicator of the sample quality in high-mobility modulation-doped 2D GaAs structures because, depending on the specific system property of interest, mobility and quality may be controlled by different aspects of the underlying disorder distribution, particularly since these systems are dominated by long-range Coulomb disorder from both near and far r…
Recently an air-stable layered semiconductor Bi2O2Se was discovered to exhibit an ultrahigh mobility in transistors fabricated with its thin layers. In this work, we explored the mechanism that induces the high mobility and distinguishes Bi2O2Se from other semiconductors. We found that the electron donor states lie above the lowest conduction band. Thus, electrons get spontaneously ionized from donor sites (e.g., Se vacancies) without involving the thermal activation, different from the donor ionization in conventional semiconductors. Consequently, the resistance decreases as reducing the temp…
Graphene is an attractive material for spintronics due to theoretical predictions of long spin lifetimes arising from low spin-orbit and hyperfine couplings. In experiments, however, spin lifetimes in single layer graphene (SLG) measured via Hanle effects are much shorter than expected theoretically. Thus, the origin of spin relaxation in SLG is a major issue for graphene spintronics. Despite extensive theoretical and experimental work addressing this question, there is still little clarity on the microscopic origin of spin relaxation. By using organic ligand-bound nanoparticles as charge rese…
Two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals semiconductors represent the thinnest, air stable semiconducting materials known. Their unique optical, electronic and mechanical properties hold great potential for harnessing them as key components in novel applications for electronics and optoelectronics. However, the charge transport behavior in 2D semiconductors is more susceptible to external surroundings (e.g. gaseous adsorbates from air and trapped charges in substrates) and their electronic performance is generally lower than corresponding bulk materials due to the fact that surface and bulk coincide…
We demonstrate tunable solid state and flexible graphene field effect devices (FEDs) fabricated using a poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA) and lithium fluoride (LiF) composite dielectric. Increasing the concentration of LiF in the composite dielectric reduces the operating gate voltages significantly from 10 V to 1 V required leading to a decrease in resistance. Electron and hole mobility of 350 and 310 cm2/Vs at VD = -5 V are obtained for graphene FEDs with 10 % LiF concentration in the composite. Using composite dielectric also enabled excellent performance on flexible substrates without any si…
The carrier mobility of anisotropic two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors under longitudinal acoustic (LA) phonon scattering was theoretically studied with the deformation potential theory. Based on Boltzmann equation with relaxation time approximation, an analytic formula of intrinsic anisotropic mobility was deduced, which shows that the influence of effective mass to the mobility anisotropy is larger than that of deformation potential constant and elastic modulus. Parameters were collected for various anisotropic 2D materials (black phosphorus, Hittorf's phosphorus, BC$_2$N, MXene, TiS$_3$, G…
A plasmonic nanostructure conceived with periodic layers of a doped semiconductor and passive semiconductor is shown to generate spontaneously surface plasmon polaritons thanks to its periodic nature. The nanostructure is demonstrated to behave as an effective material modeled by a simple dielectric function of ionic-crystal type, and possesses a fully tunable photonic band gap, with widths exceeding 50%, in the region extending from mid-infra-red to Tera-Hertz.
Moiré structures in small-angle-twisted bilayers of two-dimensional semiconductors with a broken-symmetry interface form arrays of ferroelectric domains with periodically alternating out-of-plane polarization. Here, we propose a network theory for the tunability of such FE domain structure by applying an electric field perpendicular to the 2D crystal. Using multiscale analysis, we derive a fully parametrized string-theory-like description of the domain wall network and show that it undergoes a qualitative change, after the arcs of partial dislocation like domain walls merge (near the network n…
A new two-dimensional (2D) layered material, namely, titanium trisulfide (TiS$_3$) monolayer sheet, is predicted to possess desired electronic properties for nanoelectronic applications. On basis of the first-principles calculations within the framework of density functional theory and deformation theory, we show that the TiS$_3$ 2D crystal is a direct gap semiconductor with a band gap of 1.06 eV and high carrier mobility. More remarkably, the in-plane electron mobility of the 2D TiS$_3$ is highly anisotropic, amounting to $\sim$10,000 cm$^2$V$^{-1}$s$^{-1}$ in the \emph{b} direction, which is…
Three-dimensional confinement allows semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) to exhibit size-tunable electronic and optical properties that enable a wide range of opto-electronic applications from displays, solar cells and bio-medical imaging to single-electron devices. Additional modalities such as spin and valley properties can provide further degrees of freedom requisite for quantum information and spintronics. When seeking to combine these material features into QD structures, however, confinement can cause hybridization that inhibits the robustness of these emergent properties for insertion into…
Feshbach resonances are an invaluable tool in atomic physics, enabling precise control of interactions and the preparation of complex quantum phases of matter. Here, we theoretically analyze a solid-state analogue of a Feshbach resonance in two dimensional semiconductor heterostructures. In the presence of inter-layer electron tunneling, the scattering of excitons and electrons occupying different layers can be resonantly enhanced by tuning an applied electric field. The emergence of an inter-layer Feshbach molecule modifies the optical excitation spectrum, and can be understood in terms of Fe…
We consider magnetic properties of the planar structure consisting of a ferromagnetic metal, diluted magnetic semiconductor and the quantum well (by the example of the hybrid heterostructure Fe--Ga(Mn)As--InGaAs). In the framework of the mean-field theory, there is the significant amplification of the ferromagnetism induced by the ferromagnetic metal (Fe) in the system of magnetic impurities (Mn) due to their indirect interaction via the conductivity channel in the quantum well. As a result, the high-temperature ferromagnetism arises leading to the spin polarization of charge carriers (holes) …
Moiré excitons are emergent optical excitations in 2D semiconductors with deep moiré superlattice potentials. While these excitations have been realized in several platforms, a system with dynamically tunable moiré potential to tailor the moiré exciton properties is yet to be realized. Here, we present a continuously tunable moiré potential in a monolayer WSe2 that is enabled by its proximity to twisted bilayer graphene (TBG) near the magic-angle. Due to its flat electronic bands, charge distribution is highly localized and forms a triangular lattice in TBG. Tuning the local charge density via…
Van der Waals (vdW) semiconductors are attractive for highly scaled devices and heterogeneous integration since they can be isolated into self-passivated, two-dimensional (2D) layers that enable superior electrostatic control. These attributes have led to numerous demonstrations of field-effect devices ranging from transistors to triodes. By exploiting the controlled, substitutional doping schemes in covalently-bonded, three-dimensional (3D) semiconductors and the passivated surfaces of 2D semiconductors, one can construct devices that can exceed performance metrics of 'all-2D' vdW heterojunct…
Extremely long coherence times, excellent single-qubit gate fidelities and two-qubit logic have been demonstrated with silicon metal-oxide-semiconductor spin qubits, making it one of the leading platforms for quantum information processing. Despite this, a long-standing challenge in this system has been the demonstration of tunable tunnel coupling between single electrons. Here we overcome this hurdle with gate-defined quantum dots and show couplings that can be tuned on and off for quantum operations. We use charge sensing to discriminate between the (2,0) and (1,1) charge states of a double …
We studied spin transport in four organic semiconductors (OSCs) with different electronic properties, with Fe and Co as the top and bottom ferromagnetic (FM) contacts, respectively. Magnetoresistance (MR) effects were observed up to room temperature in junctions based on an electron-carrying OSC, tris(8-hyroxyquinoline) aluminum (Alq$_3$) and a hole-carrying OSC, copper phthalocyanine (CuPc). The MR shows similar temperature dependence for these two OSCs, which suggests that the FM leads rather than the OSCs play a dominant role on the spin-transport degradation with increasing temperature. We…
The discovery of archetypal two-dimensional (2D) materials provides enormous opportunities in both fundamental breakthroughs and device applications, as evident by the research booming in graphene, atomically thin transition-metal chalcogenides, and few-layer black phosphorous in the past decade. Here, we report a new, large family of semiconducting dialkali-metal monochalcogenides (DMMCs) with an inherent A$_{2}$X monolayer structure, in which two alkali sub-monolayers form hexagonal close packing and sandwich the triangular chalcogen atomic plane. Such unique lattice structure leads to extra…
The success of all-graphene electronics is severely hindered by the challenging realization and subsequent integration of semiconducting channels and metallic contacts. Here, we comprehensively investigate the electronic transport across width-modulated heterojunctions consisting of a graphene quantum dot of varying lengths and widths embedded in a pair of armchair-edged metallic nanoribbons, of the kind recently fabricated via on-surface synthesis. We show that the presence of the quantum dot enables the opening of a width-dependent transport gap, thereby yielding built-in one-dimensional met…
We have observed the Kondo effect in strongly coupled semiconducting nanowire quantum dots. The devices are made from indium arsenide nanowires, grown by molecular beam epitaxy, and contacted by titanium leads. The device transparency can be tuned by changing the potential on a gate electrode, and for increasing transparencies the effects dominating the transport changes from Coulomb Blockade to Universal Conductance Fluctuations with Kondo physics appearing in the intermediate region.
An antiferromagnetic insulating state has been found in the zigzag phosphorene nanoribbons (ZPNRs) from a comprehensive density functional theory calculations. Comparing with other one-dimensional systems, the magnetism in ZPNRs display several surprising characteristics: (i) the magnetic moments are antiparallel arranged at each zigzag edge; (ii) the magnetism is quite stable in energy (about 29 meV/magnetic-ion) and the band gap is big (about 0.7 eV); (iii) a moderate compressive strain will induce a magnetic to nonmagnetic as well as semiconductor to metal transition. All of these phenomena…
The electron transport properties of atomically thin semiconductors such as MoS2 have attracted significant recent scrutiny and controversy. In this work, the scattering mechanisms responsible for limiting the mobility of single layer semiconductors are evaluated. The roles of individual scattering rates are tracked as the 2D electron gas density is varied over orders of magnitude at various temperatures. From a comparative study of the individual scattering mechanisms, we conclude that all current reported values of mobilities in atomically thin transition-metal dichalcogenide semiconductors …
We develop a theory for the maximum achievable mobility in modulation-doped 2D GaAs-AlGaAs semiconductor structures by considering the momentum scattering of the 2D carriers by the remote ionized dopants which must invariably be present in order to create the 2D electron gas at the GaAs-AlGaAs interface. The minimal model, assuming first order Born scattering by random quenched remote dopant ions as the only scattering mechanism, gives a mobility much lower (by a factor of 3 or more) than that observed experimentally in many ultra high-mobility modulation-doped 2D systems, establishing convinc…
Nanoscale superconductor-semiconductor hybrid devices are assembled from InAs semiconductor nanowires individually contacted by aluminum-based superconductor electrodes. Below 1 K, the high transparency of the contacts gives rise to proximity-induced superconductivity. The nanowires form superconducting weak links operating as mesoscopic Josephson junctions with electrically tunable coupling. The supercurrent can be switched on/off by a gate voltage acting on the electron density in the nanowire. A variation in gate voltage induces universal fluctuations in the normal-state conductance which a…
A large spin-dependent and electric field-tunable magnetoresistance of a two-dimensional electron system (2DES) is a key ingredient for the realization of many novel concepts for spin-based electronic devices. The low magnetoresistance observed during the last decades in devices with lateral semiconducting (SC) transport channels between ferromagnetic (FM) source (S) and drain (D) contacts has been the main obstacle for realizing spin field effect transistor proposals. Here, we show both, a large two terminal magnetoresistance in lateral 2DES-based spin valve geometry, with up to 80% resistanc…
We demonstrate the use of a piezoelectric actuator to apply, at low temperatures, uniaxial stress in the plane of a two-dimensional electron system confined to a modulation-doped AlAs quantum well. Via the application of stress, which can be tuned in situ and continuously, we control the energies and occupations of the conduction-band minima and the electronic properties of the electron system. We also report measurements of the longitudinal and transverse strain versus bias for the actuator at 300, 77, and 4.2 K. A pronounced hysteresis is observed at 300 and 77 K, while at 4.2 K, strain is n…
We propose and study theoretically a new mechanism of electron-impurity scattering in doped seminconductors with large dielectric constant. It is based upon the idea of \textit{vector} character of deformations caused in the crystalline lattice by any point defects siting asymmetrically in the unit cell. In result, local lattice compression due to the elastic deformations decay as $1/r^2$ with distance from impurity. Electron scattering (due to standard deformation potential) on such defects leads to low-temperature mobility $μ(n)$ scaling with electron density $n$ of the form $μ(n) \propto n^…
Exploration of spin-currents in organic semiconductors (OSECs) induced by resonant microwave absorption in ferromagnetic substrates has been of great interest for potential spintronics applications. Due to the inherently weak spin-orbit coupling (SOC) of OSECs, their inverse spin Hall effect (ISHE) response is very subtle; limited by the microwave power applicable under continuous-wave (cw) excitation. Here we introduce a novel approach for generating significant ISHE signals using pulsed ferromagnetic resonance, where the ISHE is ~2-3 orders of magnitude larger compared to cw excitation. This…
We propose a novel class of temperature-tunable semiconductor metamaterials that exhibit negative refraction in the terahertz spectral range. These metamaterials are based on doped semiconductor superlattices with ultrathin barriers of about 1 nm thickness. Due to the tunnel transparency of the barriers, layers of the superlattice cannot be considered as isolated and, therefore, the classical homogenization approach is inapplicable. We develop a theory of quantum homogenization which is based on the Kubo formula for conductivity. The proposed approach takes into account the wave functions of t…
By applying an electric field perpendicular to a semiconductor quantum ring we show that it is possible to modify the single particle wave function between quantum dot (QD)-like to ring-like. The constraints on the geometrical parameters of the quantum ring to realize such a transition are derived. With such a perpendicular electric field we are able to tune the Aharanov-Bohm (AB) effect for both single particles and for excitons. The tunability is in both the strength of the AB-effect as well as in its periodicity. We also investigate the strain induce potential inside the self assembled quan…
Strain engineering is an important method for tuning the properties of semiconductors and has been used to improve the mobility of silicon transistors for several decades. Recently, theoretical studies have predicted that strain can also improve the mobility of two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors, e.g. by reducing intervalley scattering or lowering effective masses. Here, we experimentally show strain-enhanced electron mobility in monolayer MoS2 transistors with uniaxial tensile strain, on flexible substrates. The on-state current and mobility are nearly doubled with tensile strain up to 0.7%,…
Phase-resolved transient grating spectroscopy in semiconductor quantum wells has been shown to be a powerful technique for measuring the electron-hole drag resistivity $ρ_{eh}$, which depends on the Coulomb interaction between the carriers. In this paper we develop the interacting drift-diffusion theory, from which $ρ_{eh}$ can be determined, given the measured mobility of an electron-hole grating. From this theory we predict a cross-over from a high-excitation-density regime, in which the mobility has the "normal" positive value, to a low-density regime, in which Coulomb-drag dominates and th…
The ab-initio theory of charge transport in semiconductors typically employs the lowest-order perturbation theory in which electrons interact with one phonon (1ph). This theory is accepted to be adequate to explain the low-field mobility of non-polar semiconductors but has not been tested extensively beyond the low-field regime. Here, we report first-principles calculations of the electric field-dependence of the electron mobility of Si as described by the warm electron coefficient, $β$. Although the 1ph theory overestimates the low-field mobility by only around 20%, it overestimates $β$ by ov…
The theoretical effects of phase separation on encounter-limited charge carrier recombination in organic semiconductor blends are investigated using kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) simulations of pump-probe experiments. Using model bulk heterojunction morphologies, the dependence of the recombination rate on domain size and charge carrier mobility are quantified. Unifying competing models and simulation results, we show that the mobility dependence of the recombination rate can be described using the power mean of the electron and hole mobilities with a domain size dependent exponent. Additionally, …
As the only non-carbon elemental layered allotrope, few-layer black phosphorus or phosphorene has emerged as a novel two-dimensional (2D) semiconductor with both high bulk mobility and a band gap. Here we report fabrication and transport measurements of phosphorene-hexagonal BN (hBN) heterostructures with one-dimensional (1D) edge contacts. These transistors are stable in ambient conditions for >300 hours, and display ambipolar behavior, a gate-dependent metal-insulator transition, and mobility up to 4000 $cm^2$/Vs. At low temperatures, we observe gate-tunable Shubnikov de Haas (SdH) magneto-o…
We present transport measurements of a tunable silicon metal-oxide-semiconductor double quantum dot device with lateral geometry. Experimentally extracted gate-to-dot capacitances show that the device is largely symmetric under the gate voltages applied. Intriguingly, these gate voltages themselves are not symmetric. Comparison with numerical simulations indicates that the applied gate voltages serve to offset an intrinsic asymmetry in the physical device. We also show a transition from a large single dot to two well isolated coupled dots, where the central gate of the device is used to contro…
To improve mobility of fabricated silicon metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) quantum devices, forming gas annealing is a common method used to mitigate the effects of disorder at the Si/SiO2 interface. However, the importance of activation annealing is usually ignored. Here, we show that a high vacuum environment for implantation activation is beneficial for improving mobility compared to nitrogen atmosphere. Low-temperature transport measurements of Hall bars show that peak mobility can be improved by a factor of two, reaching 1.5 m^2/(Vs) using high vacuum annealing during implantation activati…
Semiconductor quantum dots have proven to be a useful platform for quantum simulation in the solid state. However, implementing a superconducting coupling between quantum dots mediated by a Cooper pair has so far suffered from limited tunability and strong suppression. This has limited applications such as Cooper pair splitting and quantum dot simulation of topological Kitaev chains. In this work, we propose how to mediate tunable effective couplings via Andreev bound states in a semiconductor-superconductor nanowire connecting two quantum dots. We show that in this way it is possible to indiv…
We theoretically study the acoustic phonon limited mobility in n-doped two-dimensional MoS2 for temperatures T < 100 K and high carrier densities using the Boltzmann equation and first-principles calculations of the acoustic electron-phonon (el-ph) interaction. In combination with a continuum elastic model, analytic expressions and the coupling strengths for the deformation potential and piezoelectric interactions are established. We furthermore show that the deformation potential interaction has contributions from both normal and umklapp processes and that the latter contribution is only weak…
Particle isolation techniques are in the spotlight of many areas of science and engineering. In food industry, a harmful bacterial activity can be prevented with the help of separation schemes. In health care, isolation techniques are used to distinguish cancer and healthy cells or in therapy for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. We consider a cloud of Brownian particles of different sizes moving in a periodic potential and subjected to an unbiased driving as well as a constant force. We reveal an efficient separation strategy via the counterintuitive effect of negative mobility when parti…
Quantum dots (QDs) made from semiconductors are among the most promising platforms for the developments of quantum computing and simulation chips, and have advantages over other platforms in high density integration and in compatibility to the standard semiconductor chip fabrication technology. However, development of a highly tunable semiconductor multiple QD system still remains as a major challenge. Here, we demonstrate realization of a highly tunable linear quadruple QD (QQD) in a narrow bandgap semiconductor InAs nanowire with fine finger gate technique. The QQD is studied by electron tra…
Graphene based transistors relying on a conventional structure cannot switch properly because of the absence of an energy gap in graphene. To overcome this limitation, a barristor device was proposed, whose operation is based on the modulation of the graphene-semiconductor (GS) Schottky barrier by means of a top gate, and demonstrating an ON-OFF current ratio up to $10^5$. Such a large number is likely due to the realization of an ultra clean interface with virtually no interface trapped charge. However, it is indeed technologically relevant to know the impact that the interface trapped charge…
We calculate using the Boltzmann transport theory the density dependent mobility of two-dimensional (2D) electrons in GaAs, SiGe and AlAs quantum wells as well as of 2D holes in GaAs quantum wells. The goal is to precisely understand the recently reported breakthrough in achieving a record 2D mobility for electrons confined in a GaAs quantum well. Comparing our theory with the experimentally reported electron mobility in GaAs quantum wells, we conclude that the mobility is limited by unintentional background random charged impurities at an unprecedented low concentration of $\sim10^{13} \mathr…
Two-dimensional (2D) niobium oxydihalide NbOI$_2$ has been recently demonstrated as an excellent in-plane piezoelectric and nonlinear optical materials. Here we show that Janus niobium oxydihalide, NbO$XY$ (X, Y = Cl, Br, I and X$\neq$Y), is a multifunctional anisotropic semiconductor family with exceptional piezoelectric, electronic, photocatalytic and optical properties. NbO$XY$ are stable and mechancially flexible monolayers with band gap around the visible light regime of $\sim 1.9$ eV. The anisotropic carrier mobility of NbO$XY$ lies in the range of $10^3 \sim 10^4$ cm$^2$V$^{-1}$s$^{-1}$…
