UC Berkeley

Alloying two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors provides a powerful method to tune their physical properties, especially those relevant to optoelectronic applications. However, as the crystal structure becomes more complex, it becomes increasingly difficult to accurately correlate response characteristics to detailed atomic structure. We investigate, via annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy, electron energy loss spectroscopy, and second harmonic generation, the layered III-VI alloy GaSe_0.5Te_0.5 as a function of layer number. The local atomic structure and stacking sequence for different layers is explicitly determined. We complement the measurements with first-principles calculations of the total energy and electronic band structure of GaSe_0.5Te_0.5 for different crystal structures and layer number. The electronic band gap as well as the π and π + σ plasmons are found to be sensitive to layer number.