Tiny 'whirlpools' discovered in atom-thin semiconductor
Monash University-led researchers have directly imaged tiny swirling structures inside an atomically thin semiconductor, opening new possibilities for future low-energy electronic technologies. Published in Science Advances, the study reveals structures known as merons and antimerons, nanoscale "whirlpools" of electrical polarization, in twisted layers of the semiconductor tungsten diselenide…
Researchers from Monash University have captured the first direct images of minute swirling structures, known as merons and antimerons, within an atomically thin semiconductor. These whirlpools of electrical polarization were found in twisted layers of tungsten diselenide (WSe₂) using a technique called high-resolution imaging. By stacking two atom-thin layers of WSe₂ and twisting them by just 0.1 degrees, the researchers created a repeating nanoscale pattern called a moiré superlattice.
This pattern allowed them to map how electrical polarization behaved within the structure and directly reveal the meron and antimeron network. The discovery could pave the way for the development of ultra-thin, low-energy electronic devices where these nanoscale states could potentially be manipulated using electric fields, strain, or engineered substrates.
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