Growth of Atomic Layer TMD Quantum Nanoribbons with Controllable Width*

Harnessing additional degrees of freedom provided by the number of the layers, the width, and the strain of two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) materials opens a new perspective for tuning their properties aiming at applications in quantum electronics and photonics. However, direct growth of TMD nanoribbons with controlled widths and numbers of layers, especially for the appealing width range below 30 nm, remains challenge. Here we report a new method for growing single and double atomic layer of MeX₂ nanoribbons (Me=Mo, W; X=S, Se) with width down to sub-10 nm. The nanoribbon growth is sensitive to substrates and occurs via precipitation from pre-deposited seed nanoparticles with properly selected constituents in a chalcogen vapor atmosphere. The width of nanoribbon is determined by the seed nanoparticle’s diameter. The grown nanoribbons demonstrate remarkable elastic robustness with strain up to ~14%. Width-dependent Coulomb blockade oscillations are observed in the transfer characteristics of MoS₂ nanoribbons with width <20 nm at temperatures up to 80 K, attributed to single electron transfer. Moreover, by applying external strains, TMD nanoribbons generate high performance quantum emission of up to ~90% single photon purity, which is indicative of strain-induced localized electronic states. Our new synthesis method provides a general route for width-controllable growth of families of atomic layer quantum nanoribbons, paving a pathway to the synthesis of novel quantum materials.