Anomalous Polarized Raman Scattering and Large Circular Intensity Differential in Layered Triclinic ReS2

Precise Crystal Orientation Identification and Twist-Induced Giant Modulation of Optical Anisotropy in 1T'-ReS2

The ability to precisely identify crystal orientation as well as to nondestructively modulate optical anisotropy in atomically thin rhenium dichalcogenides is critical for the future development of polarization programmable optoelectronic devices, which remains challenging. Here, we report a modified polarized optical imaging (POI) method capable of simultaneously identifying in-plane (Re chain) and out-of-plane (c-axis) crystal orientations of the monolayer to few-layer ReS2, meanwhile, propose a nondestructive approach to modulate the optical anisotropy in ReS2 via twist stacking. The results show that parallel and near-cross POI are effective to independently identify the in-plane and out-of-plane crystal orientations, respectively, while regulating the twist angle allows for giant modulation of in-plane optical anisotropy from highly intrinsic anisotropy to complete optical isotropy in the stacked ReS2 bilayer (with either the same or opposite c-axes), as well modeled by linear electromagnetic theory. Overall, this study not only develops a simple optical method for precise crystal orientation identification but also offers an efficient light polarization control strategy, which is a big step toward the practical application of anisotropic van der Waals materials in the design of nanophotonic and optoelectronic devices.

In-Plane Anisotropy in the Layered Topological Insulator Ta2Ni3Te5 Investigated via TEM and Polarized Raman Spectroscopy

Layered Ta2M3Te5 (M = Pd, Ni) has emerged as a platform to study 2D topological insulators, which have exotic properties such as spin-momentum locking and the presence of Dirac fermions for use in conventional and quantum-based electronics. In particular, Ta2Ni3Te5 has been shown to have superconductivity under pressure and is predicted to have second-order topology. Despite being an interesting material with fascinating physics, the detailed crystalline and phononic properties of this material are still unknown. In this study, we use transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and polarized Raman spectroscopy (PRS) to reveal the anisotropic properties of exfoliated few-layer Ta2Ni3Te5. An electron diffraction and TEM study reveals structural anisotropy in the material, with a preferential crystal orientation along the [010] direction. Through Raman spectroscopy, we discovered 15 vibrational modes, 3 of which are ultralow-frequency modes, which show anisotropic response with sample orientation varying with the polarization of the incident beam. Using angle-resolved PRS, we assigned the vibrational symmetries of 11 modes to Ag and two modes to B3g. We also found that linear dichroism plays a role in understanding the Raman signature of this material, which requires the use of complex elements in the Raman tensors. The anisotropy of the Raman scattering also depends on the excitation energies. Our observations reveal the anisotropic nature of Ta2Ni3Te5, establish a quick and nondestructive Raman fingerprint for determining sample orientation, and represent a significant advance in the fundamental understanding of the two-dimensional topological insulator (2DTI) Ta2Ni3Te5 material.

Optical properties of ferroic Fe2O(SeO3)2 and Fe2(SeO3)3·3H2O

Ferroic compounds Fe2O(SeO3)2 (FSO) and Fe2(SeO3)3·3H2O (FSOH) prepared by the hydrothermal method are characterized and their optical properties are investigated by combining with first-principles calculations. The results show that (i) FSO is antiferromagnetic below ∼110 K and becomes ferromagnetic at elevated temperatures, while FSOH is antiferromagnetic at low temperatures probably due to a change in the spin state from Fe3+ (S = 5/2) to Fe2+ (S = 2); (ii) the optical bandgap is determined to be ∼2.83 eV for FSO and ∼2.15 eV for FSOH, consistent with the theoretical calculation; and (iii) the angle-resolved polarized Raman spectroscopy results of both crystals demonstrate the strong anisotropic light absorption and birefringence effects, and the unconventional symmetricity of some Raman modes is observed, which can be interpreted from the variation of Raman scattering elements. This work can provide not only an understanding of the structure and physical properties of iron selenites, but also a strategy for exploring the anomalous Raman behaviors in anisotropic crystals, facilitating the design and engineering of novel functional devices with low-symmetry ferroic materials.

Interlayer Coupling in Anisotropic/Isotropic Van der Waals Heterostructures of ReS2 and WS2

Van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures are composed of atomically thin layers assembled through weak (vdW) force, which have opened a new era for integrating materials with distinct properties and specific applications. However, few studies have focused on whether and how anisotropic materials affect heterostructure system. The study introduces anisotropic and isotropic materials in a heterojunction system to change the in-plane symmetry, offering a new degree of freedom for modulating its properties. The sample is fabricated by manually stacking ReS2 and WS2 flakes prepared by mechanical exfoliation. Raman spectra and photoluminescence measurements confirm the formation of an effective heterojunction, indicating interlayer coupling of the system. The anisotropy and asymmetry of the WS2 -ReS2 heterostructure system can be adjusted by the introduction of isotropic WS2 and anisotropic ReS2 , which can be proved by the change of the polarized Raman pattern. In the transient absorption measurement, the transient absorption spectra of WS2 -ReS2 heterostructure are red-shifted compared to those of WS2 monolayer, and the charge transfer is observed in the heterostructure. These results show the potential of anisotropic 2D materials in anisotropy modulation of heterostructures, which may promote future electronic or photonic application.

Observation of Strong Anisotropic Interlayer Excitons

Anisotropic interlayer excitons had been theoretically predicted to exist in two-dimensional (2D) anisotropy/isotropy van der Waals heterojunctions. However, experimental results consolidating the theoretical prediction and exploring the related anisotropic optoelectronic response have not been reported so far. Herein, strong photoluminescence (PL) of anisotropic interlayer excitons is observed in a symmetric anisotropy/isotropy/anisotropy heterojunction exemplified by 3L-ReS2/1L-MoS2/3L-ReS2 using monolayer (1L) MoS2 and trilayer (3L) ReS2 as components. Sharp interlayer exciton PL peaks centered at ∼1.64, ∼1.61, and ∼1.57 eV are only observed at low temperatures of ≤120 K and become more pronounced as the temperature decreases. These interlayer excitons exhibit strong anisotropic PL intensity variations with periodicities of 180° as functions of the incident laser polarization angles. The polarization ratios of these interlayer excitons are calculated to be 1.33-1.45. Our study gives new insight into the manipulation of excitons in 2D materials and paves a new way for a rational design of novel anisotropic optoelectronic devices.

Nonlinear Optical Properties from Engineered 2D Materials

Two-dimensional (2D) materials with atomic thickness, tunable light-matter interaction, and significant nonlinear susceptibility are emerging as potential candidates for new-generation optoelectronic devices. In this review, we briefly cover the recent research development of typical nonlinear optic (NLO) processes including second harmonic generation (SHG), third harmonic generation (THG), as well as two-photon photoluminescence (2PPL) of 2D materials. Nonlinear light-matter interaction in atomically thin 2D materials is important for both fundamental research and future optoelectronic devices. The NLO performance of 2D materials can be greatly modulated with methods such as carrier injection tuning, strain tuning, artificially stacking, as well as plasmonic resonant enhancement. This review will discuss various nonlinear optical processes and corresponding tuning methods and propose its potential NLO application of 2D materials.

Stacking-Order-Dependent Excitonic Properties Reveal Interlayer Interactions in Bulk ReS2

Rhenium disulfide, a member of the transition metal dichalcogenide family of semiconducting materials, is unique among 2D van der Waals materials due to its anisotropy and, albeit weak, interlayer interactions, confining excitons within single atomic layers and leading to monolayer-like excitonic properties even in bulk crystals. While recent work has established the existence of two stacking modes in bulk, AA and AB, the influence of the different interlayer coupling on the excitonic properties has been poorly explored. Here, we use polarization-dependent optical measurements to elucidate the nature of excitons in AA and AB-stacked rhenium disulfide to obtain insight into the effect of interlayer interactions. We combine polarization-dependent Raman with low-temperature photoluminescence and reflection spectroscopy to show that, while the similar polarization dependence of both stacking orders indicates similar excitonic alignments within the crystal planes, differences in peak width, position, and degree of anisotropy reveal a different degree of interlayer coupling. DFT calculations confirm the very similar band structure of the two stacking orders while revealing a change of the spin-split states at the top of the valence band to possibly underlie their different exciton binding energies. These results suggest that the excitonic properties are largely determined by in-plane interactions, however, strongly modified by the interlayer coupling. These modifications are stronger than those in other 2D semiconductors, making ReS2 an excellent platform for investigating stacking as a tuning parameter for 2D materials. Furthermore, the optical anisotropy makes this material an interesting candidate for polarization-sensitive applications such as photodetectors and polarimetry.

Optical Effect Modulation in Polarized Raman Spectroscopy of Transparent Layered α-MoO3

Optical anisotropy, which is quantified by birefringence (Δn) and linear dichroism (Δk), can significantly modulate the angle-resolved polarized Raman spectroscopy (ARPRS) response of anisotropic layered materials (ALMs) by external interference. This work studies the separate modulation of birefringence on the ARPRS response and the intrinsic response by selecting transparent birefringent crystal α-MoO₃ as an excellent platform. It is found that there are several anomalous ARPRS responses in α-MoO₃ that cannot be reproduced by the real Raman tensor widely used in non-absorbing materials; however, they can be well explained by considering the birefringence-induced Raman selection rules. Moreover, the systematic thickness-dependent study indicates that birefringence modulates the ARPRS response to render an interference pattern; however, the amplitude of modulation is considerably lower than that by linear dichroism as occurred in black phosphorous. This weak modulation brings convenience to the crystal orientation determination of transparent ALMs. Combining the atomic vibrational pattern and bond polarizability model, the intrinsic ARPRS response of α-MoO₃ is analyzed, giving the physical origins of the Raman anisotropy. This study employs α-MoO₃ as an example, although it is generally applicable to all transparent birefringent ALMs.

Orientation-polarization dependence of pressure-induced Raman anomalies in anisotropic 2D ReS2

We report an in situ high-pressure (0-30.24 GPa) optical study of the 2D ReS₂ crystal under four specific configurations of sample orientation and laser polarization. Unlike the horizontal measurement configuration that has been widely used, under the vertical sample configuration we observe the anomalous disappearance behavior of Raman modes. Through analyzing the peak evolution under different configurations with tensor calculations, we identify the effect of pressure on different components in the full 3 × 3 Raman tensor of the anisotropic ReS₂ crystal. These results provide new evidence on the remarkable tunability of pressure engineering on the crystal structure, and our methods offer an additional degree of freedom for studying pressure engineering on 2D anisotropic materials.

Abnormal vibrational anisotropy and thermal properties of a two-dimensional GeAs semiconductor

Anisotropy in a crystal structure plays a striking role in determining the optical, electrical and thermal properties of the condensed matter. Here, we investigated in-plane vibrational anisotropy in a two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals (vdW)-layered GeAs narrow-gap semiconductor by combining microstructural characterization and polarization Raman spectroscopy. Interestingly, not only the intensities but also the Raman shifts in all modes evolved periodically with different symmetries as the polarization angle changed continuously, which could be well-analyzed using the Raman tensors and further interpreted from the phonon dispersion relations. More importantly, the temperature-dependent Raman intensities of the Raman modes in the range from 83 K to 823 K gave a thermal-related uniform constant, based on which key parameters, including the thermal expansion coefficient, Grüneisen constant and quasi-particle lifetime, could be directly derived, which were in line with the calculated predictions. This investigation provides a comprehensive understanding of structure-dependent optical anisotropy in 2D vdW-layered GeAs and suggests a new idea for exploring the thermal properties of related materials using temperature-dependent Raman spectroscopy.

Composition-Controllable Syntheses and Property Modulations from 2D Ferromagnetic Fe5 Se8 to Metallic Fe3 Se4 Nanosheets

Exploring new-type 2D magnetic materials with high magnetic transition temperature and robust air stability has attracted wide attention for developing innovative spintronic devices. Recently, intercalation of native metal atoms into the van der Waals gaps of 2D layered transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) has been developed to form 2D non-layered magnetic TMDs, while only succeeded in limited systems (e.g., Cr₂ S₃ , Cr₅ Te₈ ). Herein, composition-controllable syntheses of 2D non-layered iron selenide nanosheets (25% Fe-intercalated triclinic Fe₅ Se₈ and 50% Fe-intercalated monoclinic Fe₃ Se₄ ) are firstly reported, via a robust chemical vapor deposition strategy. Specifically, the 2D Fe₅ Se₈ exhibits intrinsic room-temperature ferromagnetic property, which is explained by the change of electron spin states from layered 1T'-FeSe₂ to non-layered Fe-intercalated Fe₅ Se₈ based on density functional theory calculations. In contrast, the ultrathin Fe₃ Se₄ presents novel metallic features comparable with that of metallic TMDs. This work hereby sheds light on the composition-controllable synthesis and fundamental property exploration of 2D self-intercalation induced novel TMDs compounds, by propelling their application explorations in nanoelectronics and spintronics-related fields.

One-Step Growth of Bilayer 2H-1T' MoTe2 van der Waals Heterostructures with Interlayer-Coupled Resonant Phonon Vibration

2H-1T' MoTe₂ van der Waals heterostructures (vdWHs) have promising applications in optoelectronics due to a seamlessly homogeneous semiconductor-metal coupled interface. However, the existing methods to fabricate such vdWHs involved complicated steps that may deteriorate the interfacial coupling and are also lacking precise thickness control capability. Here, a one-step growth method was developed to controllably grow bilayer 2H-1T' MoTe₂ vdWHs in the small growth window overlapped for both phases. Atomic-resolution low-voltage transmission electron microscopy shows the distinct moiré patterns in the bilayer vdWHs, revealing the epitaxial nature of the top 2H phase with the lattice parameters regulated by the underneath 1T' phase. Such epitaxially stacked bilayer vdWHs modulate the interlayer coupling by resonating their vibration modes, as unveiled by the angle-resolved polarized Raman spectroscopy and first-principles calculations.

Precise Determination of Offset between Optical Axis and Re-Chain Direction in Rhenium Disulfide

ReS₂ is a group-VII chalcogenide with a crystal structure that has inversion symmetry only. Due to the low symmetry, it has in-plane anisotropy, and the two vertical orientations are not equivalent. The in-plane anisotropy leads to optical birefringence that can be observed by using polarized optical microscopy. We found ReS₂ crystals with domains of inequivalent vertical orientations but with the same Re-chain directions. Polarized Raman spectroscopy was used to determine the vertical orientations and the b-axis (Re-chain) directions of the domains, and high-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy measurements confirmed that the Re-chain directions of the two types of the neighboring domains are exactly parallel. From polarized optical reflectivity measurements of the two types of domains, we found that the optical slow axis is not along the b-axis as previously believed but is tilted by ∼2.4° from the b-axis of the crystal. This offset makes the two neighboring domains with parallel Re-chains optically inequivalent and enables one to observe optical contrast between the two types of domains in polarized optical microscopy. We propose a quick and easy method to determine the crystallographic orientations of such domains by using polarized optical microscopy only.

Unusual Deformation and Fracture in Gallium Telluride Multilayers

The deformation and fracture mechanism of two-dimensional (2D) materials are still unclear and not thoroughly investigated. Given this, mechanical properties and mechanisms are explored on example of gallium telluride (GaTe), a promising 2D semiconductor with an ultrahigh photoresponsivity and a high flexibility. Hereby, the mechanical properties of both substrate-supported and suspended GaTe multilayers were investigated through Berkovich-tip nanoindentation instead of the commonly used AFM-based nanoindentation method. An unusual concurrence of multiple pop-in and load-drop events in loading curve was observed. Theoretical calculations unveiled this concurrence originating from the interlayer-sliding mediated layers-by-layers fracture mechanism in GaTe multilayers. The van der Waals force dominated interlayer interactions between GaTe and substrates was revealed much stronger than that between GaTe interlayers, resulting in the easy sliding and fracture of multilayers within GaTe. This work introduces new insights into the deformation and fracture of GaTe and other 2D materials in flexible electronics applications.

Analyzing Anisotropy in 2D Rhenium Disulfide Using Dichromatic Polarized Reflectance

In-plane anisotropy in 2D rhenium disulfide (ReS₂ ) offers intriguing opportunities for designing future electronic and optical devices, and toward such applications, it is crucial to identify the crystal orientation in such 2D anisotropic materials. Existing spectroscopy or electron microscopy methods for determining the crystalline orientation often require complicated sample preparing procedures and specialized equipment, which could sometimes limit their application. In this work, a dichromatic polarized reflectance method is demonstrated, which can quickly and accurately resolve the crystal orientation (Re-Re chain) in 2D ReS₂ crystals with different thicknesses. Furthermore, it can be readily extended to multi-chromatic schemes to achieve greater measurement capability and can be easily tailored to work for different 2D materials. The method offers a simple and effective approach for studying anisotropy in 2D materials.

Quantum interference directed chiral raman scattering in two-dimensional enantiomers

Raman scattering spectroscopy has been a necessary and accurate tool not only for characterizing lattice structure, but also for probing electron-photon and electron-phonon interactions. In the quantum picture, electrons at ground states can be excited to intermediate energy levels by photons at different k-points in the Brillouin zone, then couple to phonons and emit photons with changed energies. The elementary Raman processes via all possible pathways can interfere with each other, giving rise to intriguing scattering effects. Here we report that quantum interference can lead to significant chiral Raman response in monolayer transitional metal dichalcogenide with triclinic symmetry. Large circular intensity difference observed for monolayer rhenium dichalcogenide originates from inter-k interference of Raman scattering excited by circularly polarized light with opposite helicities. Our results reveal chiral Raman spectra as a new manifestation of quantum interference in Raman scattering process, and may inspire induction of chiral optical response in other materials.

Quantum interference among elementary Raman processes has only been observed in few materials under specific excitation configurations. Here, the authors show that quantum interference can lead to significant chiral Raman response in a monolayer material of transitional metal dichalcogenide with triclinic symmetry.

Room-Temperature Ferroelectricity in 1T^{'}-ReS_{2} Multilayers

van der Waals materials possess an innate layer degree of freedom and thus are excellent candidates for exploring emergent two-dimensional ferroelectricity induced by interlayer translation. However, despite being theoretically predicted, experimental realization of this type of ferroelectricity is scarce at the current stage. Here, we demonstrate robust sliding ferroelectricity in semiconducting 1T^{'}-ReS_{2} multilayers via a combined study of theory and experiment. Room-temperature vertical ferroelectricity is observed in two-dimensional 1T^{'}-ReS_{2} with layer number N≥2. The electric polarization stems from the uncompensated charge transfer between layers and can be switched by interlayer sliding. For bilayer 1T^{'}-ReS_{2}, the ferroelectric transition temperature is estimated to be ∼405  K from the second harmonic generation measurements. Our results highlight the importance of interlayer engineering in the realization of atomic-scale ferroelectricity.

Anomalous polarization pattern evolution of Raman modes in few-layer ReS2 by angle-resolved polarized Raman spectroscopy

Low-symmetry of ReS₂ has not only in-plane but also out-of-plane anisotropic light scattering, which is complicated, yet interesting with intrinsic strong electron-phonon coupling. In such a case, the Raman tensor also gets sophisticated with nine non-zero elements, which is layer-dependent for different Raman modes. Herein, we systematically investigated the polarization pattern evolution of both in-plane and out-of-plane Raman modes of few-layer ReS₂ by angle-resolved polarized Raman spectroscopy. We found that in-plane Raman modes with less layer-dependence could be used to determine the crystal orientation (Re-chain direction) due to the weak electron-phonon interaction between layers. However, the out-of-plane and mixed vibration Raman modes demonstrate much evident layer-dependence due to the obvious electron-phonon interaction between layers. As such, the polarization patterns for the out-of-plane vibration Raman modes are distorted with layers in not only petal types but also maximum Raman intensity directions. This distortion is mainly due to the phase difference between Raman elements, which are complex values due to the near bandgap excitation laser. The results reveal that deep insights into anisotropy in low-symmetry two-dimensional materials could afford not only rich physics but also potential polarized optoelectronic devices.

Colossal 3D Electrical Anisotropy of MoAlB Single Crystal

3D anisotropic functional properties (such as magnetic, electrical, thermal, and optical properties, etc.) in a single material are not only beneficial to the multipurpose of a material, but also helpful to enrich the regulatory dimensionality of functional materials. Herein, a colossal 3D electrical anisotropy of layered MAB-phase MoAlB single crystal is introduced and dissected. Using high-temperature metal-solution method, high-quality MoAlB single crystals are obtained and a surprisingly strong out-of-plane (σ_a /σ_b  = 1.43 × 10⁵ , at 2 K) and in-plane (σ_a /σ_c  = 12.12, at 2 K) electrical anisotropies are first observed. After a series of experimental and theoretical investigations, it is demonstrated that the 3D anisotropic crystal structure and chemical bond of MoAlB result in its 3D anisotropic phonon vibration and electronic structure, influence the corresponding electron-electron as well as electron-phonon interactions, and finally give rise to its colossal 3D anisotropy of electrical conductivity. This work experimentally and theoretically proves MoAlB single crystal possessing the 3D anisotropies of crystal structure, chemical bond, phonon vibration, electronic structure, and electrical transport, but also provides a promising platform for the future design of functionalized electronic devices as well as synthesis of new and large-sized in-plane anisotropic 2D material (MoBene).

Centimeter-Scale Few-Layer PdS2: Fabrication and Physical Properties

To develop next-generation electronic devices, novel semiconductive materials are urgently required. The transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) hold the promise of next generation of semiconductor materials for emerging electronic applications. As a member of the group-10 TMDs, PdS₂ has a notable layer-number-dependent band structure and tremendously high carrier mobility at room temperature. Here, we demonstrate the experimental realization of centimeter-scale synthesis of the few-layer PdS₂ by the combination of physical vapor deposition (PVD) and chemical vapor deposition (CVD) methods. For the first time, the optical anisotropic properties of the few-layer PdS₂ were investigated through angle-resolved polarized Raman spectroscopy. Also, the evolution of Raman spectra was studied depending on the temperature in the range of 12-300 K. To further understand the electronic properties of the few-layer PdS₂, the field-effect transistor (FET) devices were fabricated and investigated. The electronic measurements of such FET devices reveal that the PdS₂ materials exhibit a tunable ambipolar transport mechanism with field-effect mobility of up to ∼388 cm² V^-1 s^-1 and the on/off ratio of ∼800, which were not reported before in the literature. To well understand the experimental results, the electronic structure of PdS₂ was determined using density functional theory (DFT) calculations. These excellent physical properties are very helpful in developing high-performance opto-electronic applications.

Polarized Raman Spectroscopy for Determining Crystallographic Orientation of Low-Dimensional Materials

Raman spectroscopy is a fast and nondestructive characterization technique, which has been widely used for the characterization of the composition and structure information of various materials. The symmetry-dependent Raman tensor allows the detection of crystallographic orientation of materials by using polarization information. In this Perspective, we discuss polarized Raman spectroscopy as a powerful tool for determination of the crystallographic orientation of various materials. First, we introduce the basic principles of polarized Raman spectroscopy and the corresponding experimental setups; the determination of crystallographic orientation of two-dimensional (2D) materials with in-plane isotropy and in-plane anisotropy using linearly polarized Raman scattering are then discussed. Furthermore, we discuss that using circularly polarized Raman spectroscopy, the azimuthal angle of materials in three dimensions (3D) can be characterized. In the final section, we show that the orientation distribution of nanomaterial assemblies can be measured using polarized Raman spectroscopy by introducing the orientation distribution function.

Selection rule for Raman spectra of two-dimensional materials using circularly-polarized vortex light

Conservation of spin and orbital angular momenta of circularly-polarized vortex light is discussed for Raman spectra of two-dimensional materials. We first show the selection rule for optical absorption of two-dimensional materials as a function of the spin and orbital angular momentum of incident vortex light. In the case of two-dimensional materials, the Raman tensor for the incident vortex light does not change the symmetry of the phonon mode. Furthermore, the Raman active modes are classified by either "helicity-changing" or "helicity-conserved" Raman modes, in which the scattered photon of circularly polarized light either changes or does not change the helicity of the light, respectively. We show tables of selection rules for the Raman active modes of two-dimensional materials with 2, 3, 4, and 6 rotational symmetry for vortex light.

Doping controlled Fano resonance in bilayer 1T'-ReS2: Raman experiments and first-principles theoretical analysis

In the bilayer ReS2 channel of a field-effect transistor (FET), we demonstrate using Raman spectroscopy that electron doping (n) results in softening of frequency and broadening of linewidth for the in-plane vibrational modes, leaving the out-of-plane vibrational modes unaffected. The largest change is observed for the in-plane Raman mode at ∼151 cm-1, which also shows doping induced Fano resonance with the Fano parameter 1/q = -0.17 at a doping concentration of ∼3.7 × 1013 cm-2. A quantitative understanding of our results is provided by first-principles density functional theory (DFT), showing that the electron-phonon coupling (EPC) of in-plane modes is stronger than that of out-of-plane modes, and its variation with doping is independent of the layer stacking. The origin of large EPC is traced to 1T to 1T' structural phase transition of ReS2 involving in-plane displacement of atoms whose instability is driven by the nested Fermi surface of the 1T structure. Results are compared with those of the isostructural trilayer ReSe2.

2D Re-Based Transition Metal Chalcogenides: Progress, Challenges, and Opportunities

The rise of 2D transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) materials has enormous implications for the scientific community and beyond. Among TMDs, ReX2 (X = S, Se) has attracted significant interest regarding its unusual 1T' structure and extraordinary properties in various fields during the past 7 years. For instance, ReX2 possesses large bandgaps (ReSe2: 1.3 eV, ReS2: 1.6 eV), distinctive interlayer decoupling, and strong anisotropic properties, which endow more degree of freedom for constructing novel optoelectronic, logic circuit, and sensor devices. Moreover, facile ion intercalation, abundant active sites, together with stable 1T' structure enable them great perspective to fabricate high-performance catalysts and advanced energy storage devices. In this review, the structural features, fundamental physicochemical properties, as well as all existing applications of Re-based TMDs materials are comprehensively introduced. Especially, the emerging synthesis strategies are critically analyzed and pay particular attention is paid to its growth mechanism with probing the assembly process of domain architectures. Finally, current challenges and future opportunities regarding the controlled preparation methods, property, and application exploration of Re-based TMDs are discussed.

Understanding angle-resolved polarized Raman scattering from black phosphorus at normal and oblique laser incidences

The selection rule for angle-resolved polarized Raman (ARPR) intensity of phonons from standard group-theoretical method in isotropic materials would break down in anisotropic layered materials (ALMs) due to birefringence and linear dichroism effects. The two effects result in depth-dependent polarization and intensity of incident laser and scattered signal inside ALMs and thus make a challenge to predict ARPR intensity at any laser incidence direction. Herein, taking in-plane anisotropic black phosphorus as a prototype, we developed a so-called birefringence-linear-dichroism (BLD) model to quantitatively understand its ARPR intensity at both normal and oblique laser incidences by the same set of real Raman tensors for certain laser excitation. No fitting parameter is needed, once the birefringence and linear dichroism effects are considered with the complex refractive indexes. An approach was proposed to experimentally determine real Raman tensor and complex refractive indexes, respectively, from the relative Raman intensity along its principle axes and incident-angle resolved reflectivity by Fresnel's law. The results suggest that the previously reported ARPR intensity of ultrathin ALM flakes deposited on a multilayered substrate at normal laser incidence can be also understood based on the BLD model by considering the depth-dependent polarization and intensity of incident laser and scattered Raman signal induced by both birefringence and linear dichroism effects within ALM flakes and the interference effects in the multilayered structures, which are dependent on the excitation wavelength, thickness of ALM flakes and dielectric layers of the substrate. This work can be generally applicable to any opaque anisotropic crystals, offering a promising route to predict and manipulate the polarized behaviors of related phonons.

Characterization of Excitonic Nature in Raman Spectra Using Circularly Polarized Light

We propose a technique of Raman spectroscopy to characterize the excitonic nature and to evaluate the relative contribution of the two kinds of electron/exciton-phonon interactions that are observed in two-dimensional transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs). In the TMDCs, the electron/exciton-phonon interactions mainly originate from the deformation potential (DP) or the Fröhlich interaction (FI) which give the mutually different Raman tensors. Using a circularly polarized light, the relative proportion of the DP and the FI can be defined by the ratio of helicity-polarized intensity that is observed by MoS₂. By this analysis, we show that the excitonic FI interaction gradually increases with decreasing temperature, contributes equally to DP at ∼230 K, and dominates at lower temperatures. The excitonic effect in the Raman spectra is confirmed by modulating the dielectric environment for the exciton and by changing the laser power.

Coherent Lattice Wobbling and Out-of-Phase Intensity Oscillations of Friedel Pairs Observed by Ultrafast Electron Diffraction

The inspection of Friedel's law in ultrafast electron diffraction (UED) is important to gain a comprehensive understanding of material atomic structure and its dynamic response. Here, monoclinic gallium telluride (GaTe), as a low-symmetry, layered crystal in contrast to many other 2D materials, is investigated by mega-electronvolt UED. Strong out-of-phase oscillations of Bragg peak intensities are observed for Friedel pairs, which does not obey Friedel's law. As evidenced by the preserved mirror symmetry and supported by both kinematic and dynamic scattering simulations, the intensity oscillations are provoked by the lowest-order longitudinal acoustic breathing phonon. Our results provide a generalized understanding of Friedel's law in UED and demonstrate that by designed misalignment of surface normal and primitive lattice vectors, coherent lattice wobbling and effective shear strain can be generated in crystal films by laser pulse excitation, which is otherwise hard to achieve and can be further utilized to dynamically tune and switch material properties.

Polarized Raman spectroscopy for studying two-dimensional materials

Raman spectroscopy has been established as one of the core experimental tools to study two-dimensional materials (2DMs) including graphene, black phosphorus, transitional metal chalcogenides, and other layered materials. If the polarization of the incident photons and the scattered photons are carefully controlled, the selection rules for the Raman scattering from phonon modes allow accurate mode assignments, which is not always possible in Raman scattering measurements using unpolarized light. Furthermore, polarized Raman spectroscopy can be used to determine the crystallographic orientation of isotropic 2DMs with in-plane strain or anisotropic 2DMs. This review explains the basics of polarized Raman spectroscopy, especially in the context of 2DMs research, and survey some of the most important applications of polarized Raman spectroscopy in isotropic and anisotropic 2DMs studies.

Anisotropic Raman spectrum and transport properties of AuTe2Br flakes

Topological semimetal (TSM) AuTe₂Br thin flakes have been studied by Raman spectroscopy and magneto-transport measurement. The angle-resolved polarized Raman spectrum of AuTe₂Br (bulk and thin flake) shows strong anisotropy. Together with high resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM), we establish a non-destructive method to determine the crystallographic orientation of AuTe₂Br flakes. At high temperature (T  >  50 K), the magneto-resistance (MR) of AuTe₂Br thin flakes shows typical parabolic-like behavior, which can be well fitted by the two-fluid model. However, at low temperature (T  ⩽  30 K), the MR of thin flakes (<17 nm) clearly deviates from the two-fluid model as well as from the Kohler's rule, suggesting a new type of scattering emerging below 30 K. Several possible scattering mechanisms are discussed and the respective corrections to MR are compared with our experimental data. In addition, the conductivity of these metallic crystals is also found to be highly anisotropic, with the hole mobility along the a axis about five times higher than that along the c axis.

Deeply Exploring Anisotropic Evolution toward Large-Scale Growth of Monolayer ReS2

Among large numbers of transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs), monolayer rhenium disulfide (ReS₂) is of particular interest due to its unique structural anisotropy, which opens up unprecedented opportunities in dichroic atomical electronics. Understanding the domain structure and controlling the anisotropic evolution of ReS₂ during the growth is considered critical for increasing the domain size toward a large-scale growth of monolayer ReS₂. Herein, by employing angle-resolved Raman spectroscopy, we reveal that the hexagonal ReS₂ domain is constructed by six well-defined subdomains with each b-axis parallel to the diagonal of the hexagon. By further combining the first-principles calculations and the transmission electron microscopy (TEM) characterization, a dislocation-involved anisotropic evolution is proposed to explain the formation of the domain structures and understand the limitation of the domain size. Based on these findings, growth rates of different crystal planes are well controlled to enlarge the domain size, and moreover, single-crystal domains with a triangle shape are obtained. With the improved domain size, large-scale uniform, strictly monolayer ReS₂ films are grown further. Scalable field-effect transistor (FET) arrays are constructed, which show good electrical performances comparable or even superior to that of the single domains reported at room temperature. This work not only sheds light on comprehending the novel growth mechanism of ReS₂ but also offers a robust and controllable strategy for the synthesis of large-area and high-quality two-dimensional materials with low structural symmetry.

In-plane optical anisotropy in ReS2 flakes determined by angle-resolved polarized optical contrast spectroscopy

Various in-plane anisotropic properties are observed for the layered semiconducting transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD), rhenium disulfide (ReS₂) due to its reduced symmetry. The understanding of these unique anisotropic behaviors in ReS₂ will promote its applications in optoelectronics. In this work, angle-resolved polarized optical contrast spectroscopy has proved to be an efficient, quantitative, and non-destructive method to probe the optical anisotropy in ReS₂ flakes with different thicknesses. The contrast value of ReS₂ displays the maximum intensity when the polarization of incident light is along the Re-Re chain direction, while the contrast shows the minimum value when the polarization is perpendicular. An empirical equation for in-plane anisotropic refractive index calculation has been proposed and the angle-resolved polarized optical contrasts of 1-3-layer ReS₂ are calculated. The calculation results show good agreements with the experimental observations. This indicates that the proposed equation is indeed appropriate for the quantitative understanding of birefringence and dichroism in ReS₂ flakes. Our results not only shed light on the identification of crystal axes in anisotropic materials by using angle-resolved polarized contrast spectroscopy, but also provide quantitative information about anisotropy in anisotropic materials such as ReS₂.

In-plane anisotropy in twisted bilayer graphene probed by Raman spectroscopy

Monolayer graphene has high symmetrical crystal structure and exhibits in-plane isotropic physical properties. However, twisted bilayer graphene (tBLG) is expected to differ physically, due to the broken symmetry introduced by the interlayer coupling between adjacent graphene layers. This symmetry breaking is usually accompanied by in-plane anisotropy in their electrical, optical and thermal properties. However, the existence of in-plane anisotropy in tBLG has remained evasive until now. Here, an unambiguous identification of the in-plane anisotropy in tBLG is established by angle-resolved polarized Raman spectroscopy. It was found that the double-resonant two-dimensional band is anisotropic. The degree of in-plane anisotropy is found to be dependent on the misorientation angles, which is two- and four-fold for tBLG with misorientation angles of 15° and 20°, respectively. This finding adds a new dimension to the properties of graphene, which opens a possibility to the development of graphene-based angle-resolved photonics and electronics.

Anomalous lattice vibrations of CVD-grown monolayer MoS2 probed using linear polarized excitation light

A novel physical phenomenon and advanced application have been explored in 2D low-dimensional van der Waals layered materials due to their reduced in-plane symmetry. The light-matter interaction is observed upon rapid characterization of the 2D material's crystal orientation. Here, the effects of the sample's rotation angle and the incident light's linear polarization angle on the Raman scattering of chemical vapor deposition (CVD)-grown monolayer MoS₂ were investigated. The results show that the crystal orientation of monolayer MoS₂ can be distinguished by analyzing the intensity ratio and frequency difference of its two dominant Raman vibration modes. In addition, an increase in the incident light's power intensity causes the Raman peaks to red shift due to the photothermal effect. Strikingly, it was found that, with an increase in the incident linear polarization angle, the out-of-plane A_1g phonon mode red shifts, while the in-plane E_2g¹ phonon mode blue shifts. The frequency difference consequently decreases from 19.5 cm^-1 to 17.4 cm^-1. The anomalous lattice vibrations of monolayer MoS₂ originate from the built-in strain introduced by the SiO₂/Si substrate. This work paves the way for the investigation and characterization of 2D MoS₂, providing further understanding of the light-matter interaction in 2D materials, which is beneficial for advanced studies on anisotropic MoS₂ based electronic and photoelectric information technologies and sensing applications.

Transition metal doping activated basal-plane catalytic activity of two-dimensional 1T'-ReS2 for hydrogen evolution reaction: a first-principles calculation study

The two-dimensional 1T' phase of ReS2 has a unique structure and its electronic properties are independent of its thickness. These features distinguish ReS2 from other two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) used as catalysts in the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and suggest that it may be a suitable alternative catalyst to the expensive Pt most commonly in this reaction. Similar to traditional TMDCs, the catalytic activity of ReS2 is mainly contributed by the edge sites, whereas the basal plane, which accounts for a large percentage of the surface area, has poor catalytic activity. Activation of the basal plane of ReS2 would be an ideal strategy by which to boost its catalytic performance. We used density functional theory calculations to show that the catalytic activity of the ReS2 basal plane can be efficiently activated by doping with transition metal (TM) atoms such as Mo, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Pt, Au and Ag. Our results indicate that doping with a TM not only significantly reduces the hydrogen adsorption free energy (ΔGH*) of ReS2 by tuning the adsorption behavior of the H atom on the ReS2 surface, but can also expose more active sites by introducing more unsaturated electrons. Pt-doped ReS2 showed the highest catalytic activity for the HER of all the TM-doped ReS2 systems investigated, with ΔGH* = 0, a low reaction barrier and an increased density of active sites on the basal plane. More importantly, ReS2 doped with the non-noble TMs Mo and Cr showed excellent HER catalytic activities comparable with those of Pt-doped ReS2. Our findings will help to guide the future design of new HER catalysts based on TMDCs.

Raman Signatures of Broken Inversion Symmetry and In-Plane Anisotropy in Type-II Weyl Semimetal Candidate TaIrTe4

The layered ternary compound TaIrTe₄ is an important candidate to host the recently predicted type-II Weyl fermions. However, a direct and definitive proof of the absence of inversion symmetry in this material, a prerequisite for the existence of Weyl Fermions, has so far remained evasive. Herein, an unambiguous identification of the broken inversion symmetry in TaIrTe₄ is established using angle-resolved polarized Raman spectroscopy. Combining with high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, an efficient and nondestructive recipe to determine the exact crystallographic orientation of TaIrTe₄ crystals is demonstrated. Such technique could be extended to the fast identification and characterization of other type-II Weyl fermions candidates. A surprisingly strong in-plane electrical anisotropy in TaIrTe₄ thin flakes is also revealed, up to 200% at 10 K, which is the strongest known electrical anisotropy for materials with comparable carrier density, notably in such good metals as copper and silver.

2D GeP: An Unexploited Low-Symmetry Semiconductor with Strong In-Plane Anisotropy

Germanium phosphide (GeP), a new member of the Group IV-Group V compounds, is introduced into the fast growing 2D family with experimental and theoretical demonstration of strong anisotropic physical properties. The indirect band gap of GeP can be drastically tuned from 1.68 eV for monolayer to 0.51 eV for bulk, with highly anisotropic dispersions of band structures. Thin GeP shows strong anisotropy of phonon vibrations. Moreover, photodetectors based on GeP flakes show highly anisotropic behavior with anisotropic factors of 1.52 and 1.83 for conductance and photoresponsivity, respectively. This work lays the foundation and ignites future research interests in Group IV-Group V compound 2D materials.

Unraveling the Raman Enhancement Mechanism on 1T'-Phase ReS2 Nanosheets

2D transition metal dichalcogenides materials are explored as potential surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy substrates. Herein, a systematic study of the Raman enhancement mechanism on distorted 1T (1T') rhenium disulfide (ReS₂ ) nanosheets is demonstrated. Combined Raman and photoluminescence studies with the introduction of an Al₂ O₃ dielectric layer unambiguously reveal that Raman enhancement on ReS₂ materials is from a charge transfer process rather than from an energy transfer process, and Raman enhancement is inversely proportional while the photoluminescence quenching effect is proportional to the layer number (thickness) of ReS₂ nanosheets. On monolayer ReS₂ film, a strong resonance-enhanced Raman scattering effect dependent on the laser excitation energy is detected, and a detection limit as low as 10^-9 m can be reached from the studied dye molecules such as rhodamine 6G and methylene blue. Such a high enhancement factor achieved through enhanced charge interaction between target molecule and substrate suggests that with careful consideration of the layer-number-dependent feature and excitation-energy-related resonance effect, ReS₂ is a promising Raman enhancement platform for sensing applications.

Spotting the differences in two-dimensional materials – the Raman scattering perspective

This review discusses the Raman spectroscopic characterization of 2D materials with a focus on the “differences” from primitive 2D materials.