One-dimensional electron gas in strained lateral heterostructures of single layer materials

Confinement of the electron gas along one of the spatial directions opens an avenue for studying fundamentals of quantum transport along the side of numerous practical electronic applications, with high-electron-mobility transistors being a prominent example. A heterojunction of two materials with dissimilar electronic polarisation can be used for engineering of the conducting channel. Extension of this concept to single-layer materials leads to one-dimensional electron gas (1DEG). MoS₂/WS₂ lateral heterostructure is used as a prototype for the realisation of 1DEG. The electronic polarisation discontinuity is achieved by straining the heterojunction taking advantage of dissimilarities in the piezoelectric coupling between MoS₂ and WS₂. A complete theory that describes an induced electric field profile in lateral heterojunctions of two-dimensional materials is proposed and verified by first principle calculations.