Tailoring 2D semiconductors for optoelectronic and quantum applications

Atomically thin 2D materials can be assembled into devices with precise layer-by-layer control over composition and interfacial symmetry, which is promising for exquisitely tailoring electronic and quantum properties in sensing, communications, and computing devices. In this talk, I will share recent progress in the synthesis, processing, and device fabrication with 2D semiconductors. To quickly test growth chemistries, we have developed a hybrid metal-organic chemical vapor deposition process, enabling WS₂ growth with control over doping, alloying, and polytype-selective growth of ferroelectric multilayer 3R-phase films on dielectric substrates, facilitating applications in ferroelectric devices and nonlinear optics. We have also addressed key challenges in improving electrical contact to 2D semiconductors within devices, including identifying mechanical strain and solvent interactions as enablers for high-performance n- and p-type transistors. Finally, I will discuss characterization techniques which probe optoelectronic properties at the atomic scale and enable the creation of point defects on demand.