Reversible nanoscale strain in suspended two-dimensional materials

Strain engineering of the two-dimensional semiconductor gallium selenide has recently revealed exciting nanophotonic effects such as localized bandgap tuning, exciton funneling, and the creation of site-specific single photon emitters. We investigate the reversible local strain engineering of suspended gallium selenide flakes by using a novel micromechanical spring with nanoscale probes for inducing symmetry-controlled localized strain. By performing strain engineering measurements on suspended gallium selenide flakes as opposed to using patterned substrates, unintended strain originating from the surrounding environment is avoided. Our results show that gallium selenide undergoes a reversible bandgap redshift of >6 meV. The presented research establishes a new platform for streamlining the quantitative understanding of material properties as a function of complex local strain in two-dimensional materials for quantum photonics applications.