Anisotropic Phonon Dynamics and Directional Transport in Actinide van der Waals Semiconductor USe$_3$

TL;DR

This paper explores the anisotropic phonon behavior and directional charge transport in USe$_3$, a heavy van der Waals semiconductor, combining experimental Raman and transport measurements with first-principles calculations.

Contribution

It introduces USe$_3$ as a new anisotropic vdW material with strong in-plane anisotropy and provides combined experimental and theoretical insights into its phonon and electronic properties.

Findings

USe$_3$ exhibits strong in-plane anisotropy in phonon modes

Charge-carrier mobility varies significantly with direction

First-principles calculations support experimental results

Abstract

Direction-dependent charge transport and optical responses are characteristic of van der Waals (vdW) materials with strong in-plane anisotropy. While transition-metal trichalcogenides (TMTCs) exemplify this behavior, heavier analogs remain largely unexplored. In this study we examine USe$_3$ as an anisotropic vdW material and a heavier analog of the well-studied TMTCs. We reveal strong in-plane anisotropy using polarization-resolved Raman spectroscopy, investigate strain-induced shifts of phonon modes, and quantify direction-dependent charge-carrier mobility through transport measurements on field-effect devices. First-principles calculations based on density-functional theory corroborate our findings, providing a theoretical basis for our experimental observations. Casting USe$_3$ as an actinide analog of a TMTC establishes a platform for exploring low-dimensional semiconductors that combine strong in-plane anisotropy with f-electron physics.