Tunable electronic properties and band alignments of MoSi2N4/GaN and MoSi2N4/ZnO van der Waals heterostructures

Van de Waals heterostructure (VDWH) is an emerging strategy to engineer the electronic properties of two-dimensional (2D) material systems. Motivated by the recent discovery of MoSi2N4-a synthetic septuple-layered 2D semiconductor with exceptional mechanical and electronic properties, we investigate the synergy of MoSi2N4 with wide-bandgap (WBG) 2D monolayers of GaN and ZnO using first-principle calculations. We find that MoSi2N4/GaN is a direct bandgap type-I VDWH, while MoSi2N4/ZnO is an indirect bandgap type-II VDWH. Intriguingly, by applying an electric field or mechanical strain along the out-of-plane direction, the band structures of MoSi2N4/GaN and MoSi2N4/ZnO can be substantially modified, exhibiting rich transitional behaviors, such as the type-I-to-type-II band alignment and the direct-to-indirect bandgap transitions. These findings reveal the potentials of MoSi2N4-based WBG VDWH as a tunable hybrid materials with enormous design flexibility in ultracompact optoelectronic applications.

Automated summary

Van de Waals heterostructures (VDWH) are an emerging strategy to engineer the electronic properties of two-dimensional material systems. By investigating the synergy of MoSi2N4 with wide-bandgap 2D monolayers of GaN and ZnO, researchers found that MoSi2N4/GaN is a direct bandgap type-I VDWH, while MoSi2N4/ZnO is an indirect bandgap type-II VDWH. Modifying the band structures of these VDWHs by applying electric field or mechanical strain shows promise for ultracompact optoelectronic applications.