Intrinsic 1<math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <msup> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mi>T</mi> </mrow> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mi class="MJX-variant" mathvariant="normal">′</mi> </mrow> </mrow> </msup> </math> phase induced in atomically thin 2H-MoTe<sub>2</sub> by a single terahertz pulse.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 37737233.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-023-41291-w and PMC identifier 10516973.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
The polymorphic transition from 2H to 1<math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <msup> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mi>T</mi> </mrow> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mi class="MJX-variant" mathvariant="normal">′</mi> </mrow> </mrow> </msup> </math>-MoTe<sub>2</sub>, which was thought to be induced by high-energy photon irradiation among many other means, has been intensely studied for its technological relevance in nanoscale transistors due to the remarkable improvement in electrical performance. However, it remains controversial whether a crystalline 1<math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <msup> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mi>T</mi> </mrow> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mi class="MJX-variant" mathvariant="normal">′</mi> </mrow> </mrow> </msup> </math> phase is produced because optical signatures of this putative transition are found to be associated with the formation of tellurium clusters instead. Here we demonstrate the creation of an intrinsic 1<math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <msup> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mi>T</mi> </mrow> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mi class="MJX-variant" mathvariant="normal">′</mi> </mrow> </mrow> </msup> </math> lattice after irradiating a mono- or few-layer 2H-MoTe<sub>2</sub> with a single field-enhanced terahertz pulse. Unlike optical pulses, the low terahertz photon energy limits possible structural damages. We further develop a single-shot terahertz-pump-second-harmonic-probe technique and reveal a transition out of the 2H-phase within 10 ns after photoexcitation. Our results not only provide important insights to resolve the long-standing debate over the light-induced polymorphic transition in MoTe<sub>2</sub> but also highlight the unique capability of strong-field terahertz pulses in manipulating quantum materials.