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Anisotropic optical and electronic properties of two-dimensional layered germanium sulfide

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Abstract

Two-dimensional (2D) layered materials, transition-metal dichalcogenides, and black phosphorus have attracted considerable interest from the viewpoints of fundamental physics and device applications. The establishment of new functionalities in anisotropic layered 2D materials is a challenging but rewarding frontier, owing to the remarkable optical properties of these materials and their prospects for new devices. Herein, we report the anisotropic and thickness-dependent optical properties of a 2D layered monochalcogenide of germanium sulfide (GeS). Three Raman-scattering peaks corresponding to the B3g, A 1g , and A 2g modes with a strong polarization dependence are demonstrated in the GeS flakes, which validates polarized Raman spectroscopy as an effective method for identifying the crystal orientation of anisotropic layered GeS. Photoluminescence (PL) is observed with a peak at ~1.66 eV that originates from the direct optical transition in GeS at room temperature. The polarization-dependent characteristics of the PL, which are revealed for the first time, along with the demonstration of anisotropic absorption, indicate an obvious anisotropic optical transition near the band edge of GeS, which is supported by density functional theory calculations. The significantly thickness-dependent PL is observed and discussed. This anisotropic layered GeS presents opportunities for the discovery of new physical phenomena and will find applications that exploit its anisotropic properties, such as polarization-sensitive photodetectors.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the Grant-in-Aid for JSPS KAKENHI (Nos. 25400324, 24681031, 15K13500, 26107522, 25246010, and 15F15313) and by Precursory Research for Embryonic Science and Technology (PRESTO) from the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST). The authors thank E. Iso and Y. Nakata for support of polarized Raman spectroscopy.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Advanced Energy, Kyoto University, Uji, Kyoto, 611-0011, Japan

    Dezhi Tan, Hong En Lim, Feijiu Wang, Nur Baizura Mohamed, Shinichiro Mouri, Wenjin Zhang, Yuhei Miyauchi & Kazunari Matsuda

  2. Fujitsu Laboratories Ltd., Atsugi, 243-0197, Japan

    Mari Ohfuchi

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  1. Dezhi Tan
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Correspondence to Dezhi Tan or Kazunari Matsuda.

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Tan, D., Lim, H.E., Wang, F. et al. Anisotropic optical and electronic properties of two-dimensional layered germanium sulfide. Nano Res. 10, 546–555 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-016-1312-6

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