No Arabic abstract
The quasiparticle band structure and optical properties of single-walled zigzag and armchair SiC nanotubes (SiC-NTs) as well as single SiC sheet are investigated by ab initio many-body calculations using the GW and the GW plus Bethe-Salpeter equation (GW+BSE) approaches, respectively. Significant GW quasiparticle corrections of more than 1.0 eV to the Kohn-Sham band gaps from the local density approximation (LDA) calculations are found. The GW self-energy corrections transform the SiC sheet from a indirect LDA band gap to a direct band gap material. Furthermore, the quasiparticle band gaps of SiC-NTs with different chiralities behave very differently as a function of tube diameter, and this can be attributed to the difference in the curvature-induced orbital rehybridization between the different chiral nanotubes. The calculated optical absorption spectra are dominated by discrete exciton peaks due to exciton states with large binding energy up to 2.0 eV in the SiC sheet and SiC-NTs. The formation of strongly bound excitons is attributed to the enhanced electron-hole interaction in these low dimensional systems. Remarkably, the excited electron amplitude of the exciton wavefunction is found to peak on the Si atoms near the hole position (which is on the C site) in the zigzag SiC-NTs, indicating a charge transfer from an anion (hole) to its neighboring cations by photoexcitation. In contrast, this pronounced peak structure disappear in the exciton wavefunction in the armchair SiC-NTs. Furthermore, in the armchair SiC-NTs, the bound exciton wavefunctions are more localized and also strongly cylindrically asymmetric.
We investigate the excitonic spectrum of MoS$_2$ monolayers and calculate its optical absorption properties over a wide range of energies. Our approach takes into account the anomalous screening in two dimensions and the presence of a substrate, both cast by a suitable effective Keldysh potential. We solve the Bethe-Salpeter equation using as a basis a Slater-Koster tight-binding model parameterized to fit ab initio MoS$_2$ band structure calculations. The resulting optical conductivity is in good quantitative agreement with existing measurements up to ultraviolet energies. We establish that the electronic contributions to the C excitons arise not from states in the vicinity of the $Gamma$ point, but from a set of $k$-points over extended portions of the Brillouin zone. Our results reinforce the advantages of approaches based on effective models to expeditiously explore the properties and tunability of excitons in TMD systems.
Due to degeneracies arising from crystal symmetries, it is possible for electron states at band edges (valleys) to have additional spin-like quantum numbers. An important question is whether coherent manipulation can be performed on such valley pseudospins, analogous to that routinely implemented using true spin, in the quest for quantum technologies. Here we show for the first time that SU(2) valley coherence can indeed be generated and detected. Using monolayer semiconductor WSe2 devices, we first establish the circularly polarized optical selection rules for addressing individual valley excitons and trions. We then reveal coherence between valley excitons through the observation of linearly polarized luminescence, whose orientation always coincides with that of any linearly polarized excitation. Since excitons in a single valley emit circularly polarized photons, linear polarization can only be generated through recombination of an exciton in a coherent superposition of the two valleys. In contrast, the corresponding photoluminescence from trions is not linearly polarized, consistent with the expectation that the emitted photon polarization is entangled with valley pseudospin. The ability to address coherence, in addition to valley polarization, adds a critical dimension to the quantum manipulation of valley index necessary for coherent valleytronics.
We show that new low-energy photoluminescence (PL) bands can be created in semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes by intense pulsed excitation. The new bands are attributed to PL from different nominally dark excitons that are brightened due to defect-induced mixing of states with different parity and/or spin. Time-resolved PL studies on single nanotubes reveal a significant reduction of the bright exciton lifetime upon brightening of the dark excitons. The lowest energy dark state has longer lifetimes and is not in thermal equilibrium with the bright state.
Defects in silicon carbide (SiC) have emerged as a favorable platform for optically-active spin-based quantum technologies. Spin qubits exist in specific charge states of these defects, where the ability to control these states can provide enhanced spin-dependent readout and long-term charge stability of the qubits. We investigate this charge state control for two major spin qubits in 4H-SiC, the divacancy (VV) and silicon vacancy (Vsi), obtaining bidirectional optical charge conversion between the bright and dark states of these defects. We measure increased photoluminescence from VV ensembles by up to three orders of magnitude using near-ultraviolet excitation, depending on the substrate, and without degrading the electron spin coherence time. This charge conversion remains stable for hours at cryogenic temperatures, allowing spatial and persistent patterning of the relative charge state populations. We develop a comprehensive model of the defects and optical processes involved, offering a strong basis to improve material design and to develop quantum applications in SiC.
We have used post-synthesis separation methods based on density gradient ultracentrifugation and DNA-based ion-exchange chromatography to produce aqueous suspensions strongly enriched in armchair nanotubes for spectroscopic studies. Through resonant Raman spectroscopy of the radial breathing mode phonons, we provide macroscopic and unambiguous evidence that density gradient ultracentrifugation can enrich armchair nanotubes. Furthermore, using conventional, optical absorption spectroscopy in the near-infrared and visible range, we show that interband absorption in armchair nanotubes is strongly excitonic. Lastly, by examining the G-band mode in Raman spectra, we determine that observation of the broad, lower frequency (G^{-}) feature is a result of resonance with non-armchair metallic nanotubes. These findings regarding the fundamental optical absorption and scattering processes in metallic carbon nanotubes lay the foundation for further spectroscopic studies to probe many-body physical phenomena in one dimension.