KAIST nanophotonics
Seong-Eun Lim
KAIST
Thickness-dependent ultrafast carrier dynamics in exfoliated α-In2Se3
Indium selenide (In2Se3) is a two-dimensional III-VI compound materials. In2Se3 possesses several crystalline phases (α, β, γ, δ and κ) differing from other materials. Among them, α-phase is a two-dimensional layered structure and can be obtained through mechanical exfoliation. Since In2Se3 has a broad tunable range of bandgap according to its thickness, it is crucial to understand carrier dynamics of In2Se3 at various thicknesses. Exfoliated α-In2Se3 samples were transferred to a desired substrate through a dry transfer method. The size, morphology, thickness, and crystal structure of samples were characterized via atomic force microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. Samples were prepared in three different thicknesses (30-, 40-nm and 208-nm thickness). As a result of measuring differential reflectivity using ultrafast pump-probe spectroscopy, strong positive signals appeared after a rapidly decreasing negative signals in the 208-nm bulk sample. On the other hand, only negative signals appeared in 30- and 40-nm thin-film samples. Although all samples used for this study were in bulk scale, distinctly different carrier dynamic behaviors were observed depending on sample thickness. These differences were expected to come from spatial effects. Hence, we attribute the spatial effect to contribution from surface states, which are more easily accessible in 30- and 40-nm samples.