Enhanced piezoelectricity and modified dielectric screening of two-dimensional group-IV monochalcogenides

We use first-principles calculations to investigate the lattice properties of group-IV monochalcogenides. These include static dielectric permittivity, elastic and piezoelectric tensors. For the monolayer, it is found that the static permittivity, besides acquiring a dependence on the interlayer distance, is comparatively higher than in the 3D system. In contrast, it is found that elastic properties are little changed by the lower dimensionality. Poisson ratios relating in-plane deformations are close to zero, and the existence of a negative Poisson ratio is also predicted for the GeS compound. Finally, the monolayer shows piezoelectricity, with piezoelectric constants higher than those recently predicted to occur in other 2D systems, such as hexagonal BN and transition-metal dichalcogenide monolayers.