Optoelectronics of Atomic Metal–Semiconductor Interfaces in Tin-Intercalated MoS<sub>2</sub>
Avraham Twitto, Chen Stern, Michal Poplinger, Ilana Perelshtein, Sabyasachi Saha, Akash Jain, Kristie J. Koski, Francis Leonard Deepak, Ashwin Ramasubramaniam, Doron Naveh
Abstract
Metal–semiconductor interfaces are ubiquitous in modern electronics. These quantum-confined interfaces allow for the formation of atomically thin polarizable metals and feature rich optical and optoelectronic phenomena, including plasmon-induced hot-electron transfer from metal to semiconductors. Here, we report on the metal–semiconductor interface formed during the intercalation of zero-valent atomic layers of tin (Sn) between layers of MoS2, a van der Waals layered material. We demonstrate that Sn interaction leads to the emergence of gap states within the MoS2 band gap and to corresponding plasmonic features between 1 and 2 eV (0.6–1.2 μm). The observed stimulation of the photoconductivity, as well as the extension of the spectral response from the visible regime toward the mid-infrared suggests that hot-carrier generation and internal photoemission take place.