Modulation of the vibrational and emission spectrum in 2D WSe2 through defect generation schemes

It has been shown that the optoelectronic properties of WSe₂, such as strong light absorption, high carrier mobility, and direct bandgap, make it a desirable material for a range of devices, including photodetectors, photovoltaics, and light-emitting diodes. At the same time, the physical characteristics of materials, including their electrical and optical properties, are greatly influenced by defects. The structural defects in WSe₂ have a distinctive effect on their light-matter interactions, and the ensuing performance of the devices. The prospect of utilizing these effects in cutting-edge technologies, such as quantum information and quantum optoelectronics, comes when the nature of such defects in WSe₂ is better understood and regulated through various defect generation schemes. Here, we discuss how surface modifications in mechanically-exfoliated WSe₂ crystallites through a plasma process effects the light emission properties of the crystallites, where such studies are conducted through Raman and photoluminescence spectroscopy.