Band Nesting Bypass in WS₂ Monolayers via Förster Resonance Energy Transfer

Two-dimensional (2D) transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have attracted intensive interest due to the direct-band-gap transition in the monolayer form, positioning them as potential next-generation materials for optoelectronic or photonic devices. However, the band-nested suppression of the recombination efficiency at higher excitation energies limits the ability to locally control and manipulate the photoluminescence of WS₂ for multifunctional applications. In this work, we exploit an energy transfer method to modulate the fluorescence properties of TMDs under a larger excitation range spanning from UV to visible light. Self-assembled lanthanide (Ln)/TMD hybrids have been designed based on a low-cost and highly efficient solution-processed approach. The emission energy from Ln³⁺ sources can be effectively transferred to the TMD monolayers under low power exposure (0.13 mW) at room temperature, activating the characteristic monolayer fluorescence in place of Ln³⁺ emission signatures. The Ln/TMDs photonics can potentially tune the excitation of TMDs to provide variable yet controllable emissions. This provides a solution to the suppression of direct exciton recombination in monolayer TMDs at the band nesting resonant energy region. Our work on such Ln/TMD systems would overcome the limited excitation energy range in TMDs and extend their functionalities for optoelectronic or photonic applications.