Ultrafast Triggering of Insulator-Metal Transition in Two-Dimensional VSe2

The transition-metal dichalcogenide VSe2 exhibits an increased charge density wave transition temperature and an emerging insulating phase when thinned to a single layer. Here, we investigate the interplay of electronic and lattice degrees of freedom that underpin these phases in single-layer VSe2 using ultrafast pump-probe photoemission spectroscopy. In the insulating state, we observe a light-induced closure of the energy gap, which we disentangle from the ensuing hot carrier dynamics by fitting a model spectral function to the time-dependent photoemission intensity. This procedure leads to an estimated time scale of 480 fs for the closure of the gap, which suggests that the phase transition in single-layer VSe2 is driven by electron-lattice interactions rather than by Mott-like electronic effects. The ultrafast optical switching of these interactions in SL VSe2 demonstrates the potential for controlling phase transitions in 2D materials with light.

Automated summary

The study reveals that the interaction between electronic and lattice degrees of freedom in single-layer VSe2 leads to the charge density wave transition. In the insulating state, a light-induced closure of the energy gap was observed.