Successful growth of low carrier density $α$-In$_2$Se$_3$ single crystals using Se-flux in a modified Bridgman furnace
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| Auteurs principaux: | , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Preprint |
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2026
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| _version_ | 1866915737812074496 |
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| author | Mondal, Soumi Anil, Sreekant Islam, Saurav Guan, Yingdong Ayyagari, Sai Venkata Gayathri Pearre, Aaron Santhosh, Sandra Alem, Nasim Samarth, Nitin Mao, Zhiqiang |
| author_facet | Mondal, Soumi Anil, Sreekant Islam, Saurav Guan, Yingdong Ayyagari, Sai Venkata Gayathri Pearre, Aaron Santhosh, Sandra Alem, Nasim Samarth, Nitin Mao, Zhiqiang |
| contents | Indium selenide (In$_2$Se$_3$) has garnered significant attention for its intriguing properties and applications in batteries, solar cells, photodetectors and ferroelectric devices. However, the controlled synthesis of single phase $α$-In$_2$Se$_3$ remains challenging owing to its complex phase diagram, presence of multiple polymorphs and the high volatility of selenium that induces non-stoichiometry and unintentional carrier doping. For ferroelectric α-In2Se3, minimizing the carrier density is essential because leakage current can obscure polarization switching. Here, we report the growth of $α$-In$_2$Se$_3$ single crystals using a unique approach, the Se-flux assisted modified vertical Bridgman technique combined with liquid encapsulation under high pressure. This approach creates a high-pressure, Se-rich environment that effectively minimizes Se-vaporization. Structural and compositional analysis using X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy confirm the formation of pure $α$-In$_2$Se$_3$ single crystals with 3R stacking. Furthermore, the crystals exhibit remarkably low carrier density of 1.5-3.2 $\times$ 10$^{16}$ cm$^{-3}$ at 300K$-$the lowest reported to date, reflecting a significant suppression of Se-vacancies relative to the conventional Bridgman or melt-grown crystals. Through transport and ARPES measurements on different batches of crystals, we also demonstrate that the amount of Se-flux plays a crucial role in controlling Se-vacancies. Our results thus establish this modified Bridgman method as an effective strategy for synthesizing large $α$-In$_2$Se$_3$ single crystals with reduced intrinsic defects. This technique can be broadly applied to grow other volatile chalcogenides with reduced defects and controlled stoichiometry. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2601_12588 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Successful growth of low carrier density $α$-In$_2$Se$_3$ single crystals using Se-flux in a modified Bridgman furnace Mondal, Soumi Anil, Sreekant Islam, Saurav Guan, Yingdong Ayyagari, Sai Venkata Gayathri Pearre, Aaron Santhosh, Sandra Alem, Nasim Samarth, Nitin Mao, Zhiqiang Materials Science Indium selenide (In$_2$Se$_3$) has garnered significant attention for its intriguing properties and applications in batteries, solar cells, photodetectors and ferroelectric devices. However, the controlled synthesis of single phase $α$-In$_2$Se$_3$ remains challenging owing to its complex phase diagram, presence of multiple polymorphs and the high volatility of selenium that induces non-stoichiometry and unintentional carrier doping. For ferroelectric α-In2Se3, minimizing the carrier density is essential because leakage current can obscure polarization switching. Here, we report the growth of $α$-In$_2$Se$_3$ single crystals using a unique approach, the Se-flux assisted modified vertical Bridgman technique combined with liquid encapsulation under high pressure. This approach creates a high-pressure, Se-rich environment that effectively minimizes Se-vaporization. Structural and compositional analysis using X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy confirm the formation of pure $α$-In$_2$Se$_3$ single crystals with 3R stacking. Furthermore, the crystals exhibit remarkably low carrier density of 1.5-3.2 $\times$ 10$^{16}$ cm$^{-3}$ at 300K$-$the lowest reported to date, reflecting a significant suppression of Se-vacancies relative to the conventional Bridgman or melt-grown crystals. Through transport and ARPES measurements on different batches of crystals, we also demonstrate that the amount of Se-flux plays a crucial role in controlling Se-vacancies. Our results thus establish this modified Bridgman method as an effective strategy for synthesizing large $α$-In$_2$Se$_3$ single crystals with reduced intrinsic defects. This technique can be broadly applied to grow other volatile chalcogenides with reduced defects and controlled stoichiometry. |
| title | Successful growth of low carrier density $α$-In$_2$Se$_3$ single crystals using Se-flux in a modified Bridgman furnace |
| topic | Materials Science |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.12588 |