Substrate effect on excitation dynamics of 2D materials*

Excitation dynamics of 2D materials has been extensively studied by different theoretical and experimental methods. However, effect of substrate on the excitation dynamics of 2D materials has not been well delineated. We perform quantum molecular dynamics simulations at high electron temperatures within the density functional theory framework to understand the effect of substrate. The simulation results show that interaction between substrate and transition metal dichalcogenide layers create distinct anisotropy in electronic excitation-induced lattice dynamics that may be experimentally observable.