Polarization-dependent light emission and charge creation in MoS₂ monolayers on plasmonic Au nanogratings

We fabricated plasmonic hybrid nanostructures consisting of MoS₂ monolayer flakes and Au nanogratings with a period of 500 nm. The angle-resolved reflectance and photoluminescence spectra of the hybrid nanostructures clearly indicated a coupling between surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) and incoming photons. The surface photovoltage (SPV) maps could visualize the spatial distribution of net charges while shining light on the sample. Considerable polarization and wavelength dependence of the SPV signals suggested that the SPP mode enhanced the light−matter interaction and resulting exciton generation in the MoS₂ monolayer. From the photoluminescence spectra and the morphology of the suspended MoS₂ region, it could be noted that light irradiation did not much raise the temperature of the MoS₂ monolayers on the nanogratings. Nanoscopic SPV and surface topography measurements could reveal the local optoelectronic and mechanical properties of MoS₂ monolayers. This work provided us insights into the proposal of a high-performance MoS₂/metal optoelectronic devices, based on the understanding of the SPP−photon and SPP−exciton coupling.