Type-I and type-II interfaces in a MoSe2/WS2 van der Waals heterostructure

We report experimental evidence that MoSe2 and WS2 allow the formation of type-I and type-II interfaces, according to the thickness of the former. Heterostructure samples are obtained by stacking a monolayer WS2 flake on top of a MoSe2 flake that contains regions of thickness from one to four layers. Photoluminescence spectroscopy and transient absorption measurements reveal a type-II interface in the regions of monolayer MoSe2 in contact with monolayer WS2. In other regions of the heterostructure formed by multilayer MoSe2 and monolayer WS2, features of type-I interface are observed, including the absence of charge transfer and dominance of intralayer excitons in MoSe2. The coexistence of type-I and type-II interfaces in a single heterostructure offers opportunities to design sophisticated two-dimensional materials with finely controlled photocarrier behaviors.