Possible charge-density-wave signatures in the anomalous resistivity of Li-intercalated multilayer MoS2

TL;DR

This study demonstrates that lithium intercalation in multilayer MoS2 induces anomalies in resistivity that may signify a transition to a charge-density-wave phase, supported by experimental and theoretical evidence.

Contribution

It provides experimental evidence of charge-density-wave signatures in Li-intercalated MoS2, linking resistivity anomalies to phase transitions induced by lithiation.

Findings

Resistivity anomalies appear after Li intercalation.

Anomalies suggest a transition to a charge-density-wave phase.

Experimental results align with theoretical predictions.

Abstract

We fabricate ion-gated field-effect transistors (iFET) on mechanically exfoliated multilayer MoS$_2$. We encapsulate the flake by Al$_2$O$_3$, leaving the device channel exposed at the edges only. A stable Li$^+$ intercalation in the MoS$_2$ lattice is induced by gating the samples with a Li-based polymeric electrolyte above $\sim$ 330 K and the doping state is fixed by quenching the device to $\sim$ 300 K. This intercalation process induces the emergence of anomalies in the temperature dependence of the sheet resistance and its first derivative, which are typically associated with structural/electronic/magnetic phase transitions. We suggest that these anomalies in the resistivity of MoS$_2$ can be naturally interpreted as the signature of a transition to a charge-density-wave phase induced by lithiation, in accordance with recent theoretical calculations.