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Updated: Feb 18, 2026

Probe Type II Band Alignment in One-Dimensional Van Der Waals Heterostructures Using First-Principles Calculations
Published on: October 12, 2019
Bi2Se3 van der Waals Virtual Substrates for II-VI Heterostructures
Thor Axtmann Garcia1, Vasilios Deligiannakis2, Candice Forrester3
1Department of Chemistry, The City College of New York, 160 Convent Ave., New York, NY 10031, USA. The Chemistry Program of the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, 365 Fifth Ave., New York, NY 10016, USA.
Abstract:
We report on the growth and characterization of optical quality multiple quantum well structures of Zn Cd1- Se/Zn Cd Mg1-- Se on an ultra-thin Bi2Se3/CdTe virtual substrate on c-plane Al2O3 (sapphire). Excellent quality highly oriented films grown along the (111) direction were achieved as evidenced by reflection high energy electron diffraction and X-ray diffraction studies. We also observed room temperature and 77 K photoluminescence emission with peak energies at 77 K of 2.407 eV and linewidths of 56 meV comparable to those achieved on structures grown on InP. Exfoliation of the structures is also possible due to the van der Waals bonding of Bi2Se3. Exfoliated (substrate free) films exhibit photoluminescence emission nearly identical to that of the supported film. Additionally, contactless electroreflectance measurements show good agreement with simulations of the multiple quantum well structure as well as evidence of excited state levels. These results open new avenues of research for substrate independent epitaxy and the possibility of ultra-thin electronics.
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