Tunable direct bandgap and optical response in \ch{Mo_{1-x}W_xS2} monolayer alloys: A first-principles investigation

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Auteurs principaux: Amassa, Kevin Ndang, Njafa, Jean-Pierre Tchapet, Etindele, Anne Justine, Nithaya, Chetty, Engo, Serge Guy Nana
Format: Preprint
Publié: 2025
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author Amassa, Kevin Ndang
Njafa, Jean-Pierre Tchapet
Etindele, Anne Justine
Nithaya, Chetty
Engo, Serge Guy Nana
author_facet Amassa, Kevin Ndang
Njafa, Jean-Pierre Tchapet
Etindele, Anne Justine
Nithaya, Chetty
Engo, Serge Guy Nana
contents This study presents a comprehensive first-principles investigation of the structural, electronic and optical properties of monolayer \ch{Mo_{1-x}W_xS2} alloys, systematically exploring the full compositional range ($x=0$ to $1$) using density functional theory (DFT). We establish that these alloys are thermodynamically stable and maintain the characteristic 2H crystal structure with minimal structural perturbation upon alloying. A key finding is the preservation of a direct bandgap at the $K$-point across all compositions. This gap exhibits continuous tunability, increasing near-monotonically from \SI{1.696}{\electronvolt} (\ch{MoS2}) to \SI{1.858}{\electronvolt} (\ch{WS2}), a critical feature for tailoring optoelectronic devices. Electronic structure analysis reveals the systematic evolution of the orbital contributions of transition metal $d$ and sulfur $p$ at the edges of the band with composition. Consequently, the optical spectra, evaluated up to \SI{8}{\electronvolt}, show a progressive blueshift in the main features of the interband transition with increasing \ch{W} content, accompanied by predictable changes in key optical constants. Our comprehensive results validate the monolayer \ch{Mo_{1-x} W_xS2} as an electronically versatile platform that offers fine control over electronic and optical properties via alloying, making these tunable direct-gap semiconductors highly promising for next-generation photodetectors, light emitters, and potentially flexible optoelectronic applications exploiting their 2D nature.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2506_01464
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Tunable direct bandgap and optical response in \ch{Mo_{1-x}W_xS2} monolayer alloys: A first-principles investigation
Amassa, Kevin Ndang
Njafa, Jean-Pierre Tchapet
Etindele, Anne Justine
Nithaya, Chetty
Engo, Serge Guy Nana
Materials Science
Quantum Physics
This study presents a comprehensive first-principles investigation of the structural, electronic and optical properties of monolayer \ch{Mo_{1-x}W_xS2} alloys, systematically exploring the full compositional range ($x=0$ to $1$) using density functional theory (DFT). We establish that these alloys are thermodynamically stable and maintain the characteristic 2H crystal structure with minimal structural perturbation upon alloying. A key finding is the preservation of a direct bandgap at the $K$-point across all compositions. This gap exhibits continuous tunability, increasing near-monotonically from \SI{1.696}{\electronvolt} (\ch{MoS2}) to \SI{1.858}{\electronvolt} (\ch{WS2}), a critical feature for tailoring optoelectronic devices. Electronic structure analysis reveals the systematic evolution of the orbital contributions of transition metal $d$ and sulfur $p$ at the edges of the band with composition. Consequently, the optical spectra, evaluated up to \SI{8}{\electronvolt}, show a progressive blueshift in the main features of the interband transition with increasing \ch{W} content, accompanied by predictable changes in key optical constants. Our comprehensive results validate the monolayer \ch{Mo_{1-x} W_xS2} as an electronically versatile platform that offers fine control over electronic and optical properties via alloying, making these tunable direct-gap semiconductors highly promising for next-generation photodetectors, light emitters, and potentially flexible optoelectronic applications exploiting their 2D nature.
title Tunable direct bandgap and optical response in \ch{Mo_{1-x}W_xS2} monolayer alloys: A first-principles investigation
topic Materials Science
Quantum Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.01464