The main goal of this project is to understand the effects of interlayer coupling in heterostructures of two-dimensional (2D) semiconducting transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) and use this knowledge to form structures and devices with desired optical response. The intrinsic semiconducting character of many TMDs (e.g. Mo- and W- disulfides and diselenides), their direct band gap in monolayer limit and suppressed screening effect in atomically thin form, makes these materials ideal building blocks for developing optoelectronic applications, including photodetectors, photodiodes, light-emitting devices, and photovoltaic cells.
Main experimental efforts in this project will be focused on developing new and improved setups for measuring optical response via reflection, photoluminescence, Raman spectroscopy and mapping of mentioned responses. Measured optical response will be directly correlated with the level of interaction between layers in heterostructures. Optical response will be also measured in pump-probe experiments.