APL Materials (May 2024)

Ultrafast state-selective tunneling in two-dimensional semiconductors with a phase- and amplitude-controlled THz-scanning tunneling microscope

  • L. Bobzien,
  • J. Allerbeck,
  • S. E. Ammerman,
  • R. Torsi,
  • J. A. Robinson,
  • B. Schuler

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0200845
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 12, no. 5
pp. 051110 – 051110-8

Abstract

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THz-pulse driven scanning tunneling microscopy (THz-STM) enables access to the ultrafast quantum dynamics of low-dimensional material systems at simultaneous ultrafast temporal and atomic spatial resolution. State-selective tunneling requires precise amplitude and phase control of the THz pulses combined with quantitative near-field waveform characterization. Here, we employ our state-of-the-art THz-STM with multi-MHz repetition rates, efficient THz generation, and precisely tunable THz waveforms to investigate a single sulfur vacancy in monolayer MoS2. We demonstrate that 2D transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) are an ideal platform for near-field waveform sampling by THz cross-correlation. Furthermore, we determine the THz voltage via QEV scans, which measure the THz rectified charge Q as a function of THz field amplitude E and dc bias Vdc. Mapping the complex energy landscape of localized states with a resolution down to 0.01 electrons per pulse facilitates state-selective tunneling to the HOMO and LUMO orbitals of a charged sulfur vacancy.