Semiconductor - metal in multilayered tungsten disulfide - Dr. Jung-fu Lin
AUGUST 11, 2015
Tungsten disulphide (WS2) is a layered transition metal dichalcogenide that has recently raised considerable interest due to its unique electronic properties among transition metal dichalcogenide family compounds. A team of scientists at HPSTAR, the University of Texas at Austin, George Washington University, Chinese Academy of Sciences respectively, together with collaborators, has found a semiconductor to a metal transition in WS2 at high pressures. This new result could help in the development of electronically tuneable devices to enhance mobility in pressure electronics.
Caption: Pressure induced metalization in WS2
The team also conducted theoretical calculations to confirm that the transition occurs was due to the overlapping of the electronic bands created by sulphur-sulphur interactions in between the layers. Based on the experimental and theoretical insights, HPSTAR scientists are extending these studies to other TMDS compounds by providing the intricate details of the metallization of these 2D materials. These pressure induced effects have substantial effects on the vibrational and electrical properties on the semiconducting transitional metal dichalcogenides.
The present work is published in ACS Nano, doi:10.1021/acsnano.5b03295.