A Versatile and Simple Approach to Generate Light Emission in Semiconductors Mediated by Electric Double Layers

Continuous Color-Tunable Light-Emitting Devices Based on Compositionally Graded Monolayer Transition Metal Dichalcogenide Alloys

The diverse series of transition metal dichalcogenide (TMDC) materials has been employed in various optoelectronic applications, such as photodetectors, light-emitting diodes, and lasers. Typically, the detection or emission range of optoelectronic devices is unique to the bandgap of the active material. Therefore, to improve the capability of these devices, extensive efforts have been devoted to tune the bandgap, such as gating, strain, and dielectric engineering. However, the controllability of these methods is severely limited (typically ≈0.1 eV). In contrast, alloying TMDCs is an effective approach that yields a composition-dependent bandgap and enables light emissions over a wide range. In this study, a color-tunable light-emitting device using compositionally graded TMDC alloys is fabricated. The monolayer WS₂ /WSe₂ alloy grown by chemical vapor deposition shows a spatial gradient in the light-emission energy, which varies from 2.1 to 1.7 eV. This alloy is incorporated in an electrolyte-based light-emitting device structure that can tune the recombination zone laterally. Thus, a continuous and reversible color-tunable light-emitting device is successfully fabricated by controlling the light-emitting positions. The results provide a new approach for exploring monolayer semiconductor-based broadband optical applications.

Mid-Infrared Optoelectronic Devices Based on Two-Dimensional Materials beyond Graphene: Status and Trends

Since atomically thin two-dimensional (2D) graphene was successfully synthesized in 2004, it has garnered considerable interest due to its advanced properties. However, the weak optical absorption and zero bandgap strictly limit its further development in optoelectronic applications. In this regard, other 2D materials, including black phosphorus (BP), transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs), 2D Te nanoflakes, and so forth, possess advantage properties, such as tunable bandgap, high carrier mobility, ultra-broadband optical absorption, and response, enable 2D materials to hold great potential for next-generation optoelectronic devices, in particular, mid-infrared (MIR) band, which has attracted much attention due to its intensive applications, such as target acquisition, remote sensing, optical communication, and night vision. Motivated by this, this article will focus on the recent progress of semiconducting 2D materials in MIR optoelectronic devices that present a suitable category of 2D materials for light emission devices, modulators, and photodetectors in the MIR band. The challenges encountered and prospects are summarized at the end. We believe that milestone investigations of 2D materials beyond graphene-based MIR optoelectronic devices will emerge soon, and their positive contribution to the nano device commercialization is highly expected.

High-Current-Density Organic Electrochemical Diodes Enabled by Asymmetric Active Layer Design

Owing to their outstanding electrical/electrochemical performance, operational stability, mechanical flexibility, and decent biocompatibility, organic mixed ionic-electronic conductors have shown great potential as implantable electrodes for neural recording/stimulation and as active channels for signal switching/amplifying transistors. Nonetheless, no studies exist on a general design rule for high-performance electrochemical diodes, which are essential for highly functional circuit architectures. In this work, generalizable electrochemical diodes with a very high current density over 30 kA cm^-2 are designed by introducing an asymmetric active layer based on organic mixed ionic-electronic conductors. The underlying mechanism on polarity-sensitive balanced ionic doping/dedoping is elucidated by numerical device analysis and in operando spectroelectrochemical potential mapping, while the general material requirements for electrochemical diode operation are deduced using various types of conjugated polymers. In parallel, analog signal rectification and digital logic processing circuits are successfully demonstrated to show the broad impact of circuits incorporating organic electrochemical diodes. It is expected that organic electrochemical diodes will play vital roles in realizing multifunctional soft bioelectronic circuitry in combination with organic electrochemical transistors.

Room-Temperature Chiral Light-Emitting Diode Based on Strained Monolayer Semiconductors

Room-temperature chiral light sources whose optical helicity can be electrically switched are one of the most important devices for future optical quantum information processing. The emerging valley degree of freedom in monolayer semiconductors allows generation of chiral luminescence via valley polarization. However, relevant valley-polarized light-emitting diodes (LEDs) have only been achieved at low temperatures (typically below 80 K). Here, a room-temperature chiral LED with strained transition metal dichalcogenide monolayers is realized. Spatially resolved polarization spectroscopy reveals that strain effects are crucial to yielding robust valley-polarized electroluminescence. The broken threefold rotational symmetry of strained monolayers induce inequivalent valley drifts at the K/K' valleys, resulting in different amounts of spin recombination driven by electric fields. Based on this scenario, ideally strained conditions are designed for LEDs on flexible substrates, in which the helicity of room-temperature valley-polarized electroluminescence is electrically tuned. The results provide a new pathway for practical chiral light sources based on monolayer semiconductors.

Spatial Control of Dynamic p-i-n Junctions in Transition Metal Dichalcogenide Light-Emitting Devices

Emerging transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) offer an attractive platform for investigating functional light-emitting devices, such as flexible devices, quantum and chiral devices, high-performance optical modulators, and ultralow threshold lasers. In these devices, the key operation is to control the light-emitting position, that is, the spatial position of the recombination zone to generate electroluminescence, which permits precise light guides/passes/confinement to ensure favorable device performance. Although various structures of TMDC light-emitting devices have been demonstrated, including the transistor configuration and heterostructured diodes, it is still difficult to tune the light-emitting position precisely owing to the structural device complexity. In this study, we fabricated two-terminal light-emitting devices with chemically synthesized WSe₂, MoSe₂, and WS₂ monolayers, and performed direct observations of their electroluminescence, from which we discovered a divergence in their light-emitting positions. Subsequently, we propose a method to associate spatial electroluminescence imaging with transport properties among different samples; consequently, a common rule for determining the locations of recombination zones is revealed. Owing to dynamic carrier accumulations and p-i-n junction formations, the light-emitting positions in electrolyte-based devices can be tuned continuously. The proposed method will expand the device applicability for designing functional optoelectronic applications based on TMDCs.

Design and tailoring of two-dimensional Schottky, PN and tunnelling junctions for electronics and optoelectronics

Owing to their superior carrier mobility, strong light-matter interactions, and flexibility at the atomically thin thickness, two-dimensional (2D) materials are attracting wide interest for application in electronic and optoelectronic devices, including rectifying diodes, transistors, memory, photodetectors, and light-emitting diodes. At the heart of these devices, Schottky, PN, and tunneling junctions are playing an essential role in defining device function. Intriguingly, the ultrathin thickness and unique van der Waals (vdW) interlayer coupling in 2D materials has rendered enormous opportunities for the design and tailoring of various 2D junctions, e.g. using Lego-like hetero-stacking, surface decoration, and field-effect modulation methods. Such flexibility has led to marvelous breakthroughs during the exploration of 2D electronics and optoelectronic devices. To advance further, it is imperative to provide an overview of existing strategies for the engineering of various 2D junctions for their integration in the future. Thus, in this review, we provide a comprehensive survey of previous efforts toward 2D Schottky, PN, and tunneling junctions, and the functional devices built from them. Though these junctions exhibit similar configurations, distinct strategies have been developed for their optimal figures of merit based on their working principles and functional purposes.

Strong Doping and Electroluminescence Realized by Fast Ion Transport through a Planar Polymer/Polymer Interface in Bilayer Light-Emitting Electrochemical Cells

Bilayer light-emitting electrochemical cells are demonstrated with a top conjugated polymer (CP) emitting layer and a solid polymer electrolyte (SPE) underlayer. Fast, long-range ion transport through the planar CP/SPE interface leads to doping and junction electroluminescence in the CP layer. All bilayer cells have pairs of aluminum electrodes separated by 2 or 11 mm at their inner edges, creating the largest planar (lateral) cells that can be imaged with excellent temporal and spatial resolutions. To understand how in situ electrochemical doping occurs in the CP layer without any ionic species mixed in, the planar bilayer cells are investigated for different CPs, CP layer thickness, operating voltage, and operating temperature. The bilayer cells are much faster to turn on than control cells made from a single mixed CP/SPE layer. The cell current and the doping propagation speed exhibit a linear dependence on the operating voltage and an Arrhenius-type temperature dependence. Unexpectedly, long-range ion transport in the CP layer and across the CP/SPE interface does not impede the doping reactions. Instead, the doping reactions are limited by the bulk resistance of the extra-wide SPE underlayer. In bilayer cells with a thin red-emitting CP layer, ion transport and doping reactions can penetrate the entire CP layer in the vertical direction. In thicker MEH-PPV or the blue-emitting cells, the doping did not reach the top of the CP layer. This led to broadened emitting junctions and/or unexpected junction locations. The bilayer LECs offer unique opportunities to investigate the ion transport in pristine CPs, the CP/SPE interface, and the SPE using highly sensitive and reliable imaging techniques. Removing the inert electrolyte polymer from the semiconducting CP can potentially lead to high-performance electrochemical light-emitting/photovoltaic cells or transistors.

CVD growth of large-area InS atomic layers and device applications

Group-III monochalcogenides of two-dimensional (2D) layered materials have attracted widespread attention among scientists due to their unique electronic performance and interesting chemical and physical properties. Indium sulfide (InS) is attracting increasing interest from scientists because it has two distinct crystal structures. However, studies on the synthesis of highly crystalline, large-area, and atomically thin-film InS have not been reported thus far. Here, the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) synthesis method of atomic InS crystals has been reported in this paper. The direct chemical vapour phase reaction of metal oxides with chalcogen precursors produces a large-sized hexagonal crystal structure and atomic-thickness InS flakes or films. The InS atomic films are merged with a plurality of triangular InS crystals that are uniform and entire and have surface areas of 1 cm2 and controllable thicknesses in bilayers or trilayers. The properties of the as-grown highly crystalline samples were characterized by spectroscopic and microscopic measurements. The ion-gel gated InS field-effect transistors (FETs) reveal n-type transport behavior, and have an on-off current ratio of >103 and a room-temperature electron mobility of ∼2 cm2 V-1 s-1. Moreover, our CVD InS can be transferred from mica to any substrates, so various 2D materials can be reassembled into vertically stacked heterostructures, thus facilitating the development of heterojunctions and exploration of the properties and applications of their interactions.

Exciton Polarization and Renormalization Effect for Optical Modulation in Monolayer Semiconductors

The ideal quantum confinement structure of monolayer semiconductors offers prominent optical modulation capabilities that are mediated by enhanced many-body interactions. Herein, we establish an electrolyte-gating method for tuning the luminescence properties that are in transition metal dichalcogenide (TMDC) monolayers. We fabricate electric double-layer capacitors on TMDC/graphite heterostructures to investigate electric-field- and carrier-density-dependent photoluminescence. The exciton peak energy initially shows a slight quadratic red shift of ∼1 meV without carrier accumulations, which is caused by the quantum-confined Stark effect. In contrast, the exciton resonance exhibits a larger red shift up to 10 meV with the accumulated carrier density above 10¹³ cm^-2. These results indicate that the optical transitions can be largely modulated by the carrier density control in S- and Se-based TMDCs, as triggered by the doping-induced band gap renormalization effect. To further inspire this modulation capability, we also apply our method to electrolyte-based TMDC light-emitting devices. Biasing solely in electrolyte-induced p-i-n junctions yields pronounced red shifts up to 40 meV for exciton and trion electroluminescence. Consequently, our approach reveals that the doping effects in the high-carrier-density regimes are potentially significant for efficient optical modulation in monolayer semiconductors.

Electroluminescence from multi-particle exciton complexes in transition metal dichalcogenide semiconductors

Light emission from higher-order correlated excitonic states has been recently reported in hBN-encapsulated monolayer WSe2 and WS2 upon optical excitation. These exciton complexes are found to be bound states of excitons residing in opposite valleys in momentum space, a promising feature that could be employed in valleytronics or other novel optoelectronic devices. However, electrically-driven light emission from such exciton species is still lacking. Here we report electroluminescence from bright and dark excitons, negatively charged trions and neutral and negatively charged biexcitons, generated by a pulsed gate voltage, in hexagonal boron nitride encapsulated monolayer WSe2 and WS2 with graphene as electrode. By tailoring the pulse parameters we are able to tune the emission intensity of the different exciton species in both materials. We find the electroluminescence from charged biexcitons and dark excitons to be as narrow as 2.8 meV.

Electroluminescent Devices Based on 2D Semiconducting Transition Metal Dichalcogenides

Ultrathin layers of van der Waals inorganic semiconductors represent a new class of excitonic materials with attractive light-emitting properties. Recent observation of valley polarization, optically pumped lasing, exciton-polaritons, and single-photon emission highlights the exciting prospects for two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors for applications in novel photonic devices. Development of efficient and reliable light sources based on excitonic electroluminescence in 2D semiconductors is of fundamental importance toward the practical implementation of photonic devices. Achieving electroluminescence in these atomically thin layers requires unconventional device designs and in-depth understanding of the carrier injection and transport mechanisms. Herein, various strategies for electrically generating excitons in 2D semiconducting transition metal dichalcogenides such as monolayer MoS₂ are reviewed and challenges and opportunities are outlined. Furthermore, novel device concepts such as tunable chiral emission, electrically driven quantum emission, and high-frequency modulation are highlighted.

Monolayer Transition Metal Dichalcogenides as Light Sources

Reducing the dimensions of materials is one of the key approaches to discovering novel optical phenomena. The recent emergence of 2D transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) has provided a promising platform for exploring new optoelectronic device applications, with their tunable electronic properties, structural controllability, and unique spin valley-coupled systems. This progress report provides an overview of recent advances in TMDC-based light-emitting devices discussed from several aspects in terms of device concepts, material designs, device fabrication, and their diverse functionalities. First, the advantages of TMDCs used in light-emitting devices and their possible functionalities are presented. Second, conventional approaches for fabricating TMDC light-emitting devices are emphasized, followed by introducing a newly established, versatile method for generating light emission in TMDCs. Third, current growing technologies for heterostructure fabrication, in which distinct TMDCs are vertically stacked or laterally stitched, are explained as a possible means for designing high-performance light-emitting devices. Finally, utilizing the topological features of TMDCs, the challenges for controlling circularly polarized light emission and its device applications are discussed from both theoretical and experimental points of view.

Sequentially Triggered Nanoparticles with Tumor Penetration and Intelligent Drug Release for Pancreatic Cancer Therapy

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the most aggressive malignancy with a five year survival rate of <5%. The aberrant expression of extracellular matrix (ECM) in the tumor stroma forms a compact physical barrier, which that leads to insufficient extravasation and penetration of nanosized therapies. To overcome the severe resistance of PDAC to conventional therapies, a sequentially triggered nanoparticle (aptamer/cell-penetrating peptide-camptothecin prodrug, i.e., Apt/CPP-CPTD NPs) with tumor penetration and intelligent drug release profile is designed. An ECM component (tenescin-C) targeting aptamer (GBI-10) is modified onto stroma-permeable cell-penetrating peptide (CPP) for the in vivo CPP camouflage and PDAC-homing. In PDAC stroma, tenascin-C can detach GBI-10 from CPP and exposed CPP can facilitate further PDAC penetration and tumor cell endocytosis. After being endocytosed into PDAC cells, intracellular high redox potential can further trigger controlled chemodrug release. Apt/CPP-CPTD NPs show both deep penetration in vitro 3D PDAC spheroids and in vivo tumor sections. The relatively mild in vitro cytotoxicity and excellent in vivo antitumor efficacy proves the improved PDAC targeting drug delivery and decreased systemic toxicity. The design of ECM-redox sequentially triggered stroma permeable NPs may provide a practical approach for deep penetration of PDAC and enhanced drug delivery efficacy.

Controllable Carrier Type in Boron Phosphide Nanowires Toward Homostructural Optoelectronic Devices

The p-n junction is one important and fundamental building block of the optoelectronic age. However, electrons and holes will be severely scattered in heterostructures led by the grain boundary at the alloy interface between two dissimilar semiconductors. In this work, we present boron phosphide (BP) nanowires with artificially controllable carrier type for the fabrication of homojunctions via adjusting borane/phosphine ratio during the deposition process, both prove high crystallization with fewer impurities. The homojunctions that consist of  n-type and p-type BP nanowires show apparent photovoltaic effect [external quantum efficiency ≈ 10% under a ∼0.4 pW light @ 600 nm] and the quenched photoluminescence within the junction area, which indicates the effective separation and transfer of photogenerated charge carriers at the interface. The achievement of controllable carrier type implemented in the same material ushers in a frontier for the design of nanoscale homojunctions toward advanced optoelectronic devices.

Two-dimensional light-emitting materials: preparation, properties and applications

We review the recent development in two-dimensional (2D) light-emitting materials and describe their preparation methods, optical/optoelectronic properties and applications.