Study of MoS₂ as an Electric Field Sensor and the Role of Layer Thickness on the Sensitivity

In this study, we investigate the scope of molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) as an electric field sensor. We show that MoS₂ sensors can be used to identify the polarity as well as to detect the magnitude of the electric field. The response of the sensor is recorded as the change in the drain current when the electric field is applied. The sensitivity, defined as the percentage change in the drain current, reveals that it has a linear relation with the magnitude of the electric field. Furthermore, the sensitivity is highly dependent on the layer thickness, with the single-layer device being highly sensitive and the sensitivity decreasing with the thickness. We have also compared the electric field sensitivity of MoS₂ devices to that of previously studied graphene devices and found the former to be exceptionally sensitive than the latter for a given electric field magnitude.