Anisotropic Dopant and Strain Architectures in WS$_2$ Nanocrystals Driven by Growth Kinetics

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Sousa, Frederico B., de Oliveira, Raphaela, Matos, Matheus J. S., Houser, Elizabeth Grace, Curvelo, Igor Ferreira, Yu, Zhuohang, Liu, Mingzu, Menescal, Felipe, Marques, Gilmar Eugenio, Malard, Leandro M., Terrones, Mauricio, Carvalho, Bruno R., Chacham, Helio, Teodoro, Marcio D.
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
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author Sousa, Frederico B.
de Oliveira, Raphaela
Matos, Matheus J. S.
Houser, Elizabeth Grace
Curvelo, Igor Ferreira
Yu, Zhuohang
Liu, Mingzu
Menescal, Felipe
Marques, Gilmar Eugenio
Malard, Leandro M.
Terrones, Mauricio
Carvalho, Bruno R.
Chacham, Helio
Teodoro, Marcio D.
author_facet Sousa, Frederico B.
de Oliveira, Raphaela
Matos, Matheus J. S.
Houser, Elizabeth Grace
Curvelo, Igor Ferreira
Yu, Zhuohang
Liu, Mingzu
Menescal, Felipe
Marques, Gilmar Eugenio
Malard, Leandro M.
Terrones, Mauricio
Carvalho, Bruno R.
Chacham, Helio
Teodoro, Marcio D.
contents Dopant distribution in two-dimensional semiconductors is typically assumed to be stochastic, limiting deterministic defect engineering. Here, we show that non-equilibrium growth kinetics can be harnessed to define dopant-driven strain architectures in vanadium-doped WS$_2$ monolayers. Using synchrotron X-ray fluorescence, we identify preferential vanadium incorporation, anti-correlated with tungsten content, along crystallographic bisectors. An adsorption-growth-diffusion model with a single kinetic parameter quantitatively captures the dopant segregation arising from preferential corner adsorption and limited diffusion during chemical vapor deposition growth. Hyperspectral Raman imaging demonstrates mechanically induced vibrational responses, revealing localized tensile strain ($\varepsilon \approx0.70\%$) channels associated with the anisotropic dopant distribution. This regime is marked by the depletion of W-site-sensitive in-plane modes and the emergence of a localized $J2$ mode (210~cm$^{-1}$), which our ab-initio calculations attribute to antiphase V$-$V oscillations. These findings establish kinetic segregation as a route to deterministic chemical and strain architectures in 2D semiconductors, enabling programmable defect landscapes and strain engineering during synthesis.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2605_13577
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Anisotropic Dopant and Strain Architectures in WS$_2$ Nanocrystals Driven by Growth Kinetics
Sousa, Frederico B.
de Oliveira, Raphaela
Matos, Matheus J. S.
Houser, Elizabeth Grace
Curvelo, Igor Ferreira
Yu, Zhuohang
Liu, Mingzu
Menescal, Felipe
Marques, Gilmar Eugenio
Malard, Leandro M.
Terrones, Mauricio
Carvalho, Bruno R.
Chacham, Helio
Teodoro, Marcio D.
Materials Science
Optics
Dopant distribution in two-dimensional semiconductors is typically assumed to be stochastic, limiting deterministic defect engineering. Here, we show that non-equilibrium growth kinetics can be harnessed to define dopant-driven strain architectures in vanadium-doped WS$_2$ monolayers. Using synchrotron X-ray fluorescence, we identify preferential vanadium incorporation, anti-correlated with tungsten content, along crystallographic bisectors. An adsorption-growth-diffusion model with a single kinetic parameter quantitatively captures the dopant segregation arising from preferential corner adsorption and limited diffusion during chemical vapor deposition growth. Hyperspectral Raman imaging demonstrates mechanically induced vibrational responses, revealing localized tensile strain ($\varepsilon \approx0.70\%$) channels associated with the anisotropic dopant distribution. This regime is marked by the depletion of W-site-sensitive in-plane modes and the emergence of a localized $J2$ mode (210~cm$^{-1}$), which our ab-initio calculations attribute to antiphase V$-$V oscillations. These findings establish kinetic segregation as a route to deterministic chemical and strain architectures in 2D semiconductors, enabling programmable defect landscapes and strain engineering during synthesis.
title Anisotropic Dopant and Strain Architectures in WS$_2$ Nanocrystals Driven by Growth Kinetics
topic Materials Science
Optics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.13577