Approaching the Intrinsic Properties of Moiré Structures Using Atomic Force Microscopy Ironing

Swaroop Kumar Palai; Mateusz Dyksik; Nikodem Sokolowski; Mariusz Ciorga; Estrella Sánchez Viso; Yong Xie; Alina Schubert; Takashi Taniguchi; Kenji Watanabe; Duncan K. Maude; Alessandro Surrente; Michał Baranowski; Andres Castellanos-Gomez; Carmen Munuera; Paulina Plochocka

doi:10.1021/acs.nanolett.2c04765

Journal article Approaching the Intrinsic Properties of Moiré Structures Using Atomic Force Microscopy Ironing

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Swaroop Kumar Palai, Mateusz Dyksik, Nikodem Sokolowski, Mariusz Ciorga, Estrella Sánchez Viso, Yong Xie, Alina Schubert, Takashi Taniguchi, Kenji Watanabe, Duncan K. Maude, Alessandro Surrente, Michał Baranowski, Andres Castellanos-Gomez, Carmen Munuera, Paulina Plochocka. Approaching the Intrinsic Properties of Moiré Structures Using Atomic Force Microscopy Ironing. Nano Letters. 2023, 23 (11), 4749-4755. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.nanolett.2c04765

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Stacking monolayers of transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) is a very effective way to engineer their properties, and has led to the discovery of a plethora of new exotic phenomena, driven by the formation of a moir ́e pattern which can be probed by the interlayer optical transition. Due to the atomic thickness and high surface to volume ratio of such heterostructures, it is expected that the interfaces play a crucial role. Fluctuations in the interlayer distance can affect the moir ́e potential, and hence the interlayer transition. Therefore, to access the intrinsic properties of the TMD stack, it is essential to obtain clean and uniform interfaces between the layers. In this work, we show that these can be provided by ironing with the tip of an atomic force microscope (AFM). Such a post-stacking procedure dramatically improve the structural homogeneity of the heterostructure, which is reflected in the interlayer exciton optical response. We show that ironing improves the layer coupling, enhancing moir ́e effects and reducing disorder in the structure. This is vital for the investigation of TMD heterostructure physics, which currently suffers from low reproducibility and inconsistent results.

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