The regulation of symmetry-breaking-dependent electronic structures in ReSeS monolayer

TL;DR

This paper investigates the electronic structures of ReSeS monolayer with low symmetry, analyzing how geometric deformation affects its bandgap and exploring phase transitions, with implications for electronic and optical device applications.

Contribution

It introduces two models explaining bandgap reduction under deformation and discusses the phase transition to a metallic state in ReSeS monolayer.

Findings

Bandgap decreases with geometric deformation.

Proposed models explain the saturation effect on bandgap.

ReSeS shows potential for electronic and optical devices.

Abstract

Due to the excellent physical properties, two dimensional materials have attracted widespread attention from researchers. In this article, we discuss a transition metal dichalcogenide, ReSeS monolayer with 1T" phase, with extremely low symmetry through the first principles calculation. It belongs to the space group P1 and has Jauns structure. Due to the broken of the central inversion symmetry. Raman and infrared active modes in the vibrational spectrum no longer mutually exclusive, which has become a spectral fingerprint of this material. First principles calculation indicates that the bandgap decreases when the material has geometric deformation, and we propose two models to explain this phenomenon and provide the physical pictures. The first model requires constructing a low symmetry Wannier analytically simplify Hamiltonian to obtain 4 energy levels of mixed orbital, Then the changes of bandgap can be qualitatively described through the difference between these energy levels; The second model analyzes the variations of bandgap through the bonding or antibonding characteristics of the valence and conduction band. We point out that it is a "saturation effect", where the energy of the valence and conduction band has difficulties in further changing under the deformation, resulting in the reduction of the bandgap under both compression and tensile deformation. Meanwhile, we discuss a metallic phase of ReSeS, called 1T' phase, to explain the formation of the bandgap. Compared to the 1T" phase, it has higher symmetry. Semi-filled d-orbital bands in 1T' phases will become unstable and split into bonding and antibonding bands, leading to the opening of bandgap. This process is also known as Peierls phase transition. Finally, we calculated the effective mass of electron and the absorption spectrum. Results point out the potential of ReSeS in the preparation of electrical or optical devices.