Thermal Light Emission from Monolayer MoS2

Layered transition metal dichalcogenide semiconductors, such as MoS2 and WSe2, exhibit a range of fascinating properties and are being currently explored for a variety of electronic and optoelectronic devices. These properties include a low thermal conductivity and a large Seebeck coefficient, which make them promising for thermoelectric applications. Moreover, transition metal dichalcogenides undergo an indirect-to-direct bandgap transition when thinned down in thickness, leading to strong excitonic photo-and electroluminescence in monolayers. Here, it is demonstrated that a MoS2 monolayer sheet, freely suspended in vacuum over a distance of 150 nm, emits visible light as a result of Joule heating. Due to the poor transfer of heat to the contact electrodes, as well as the suppressed heat dissipation through the underlying substrate, the electron temperature can reach approximate to 1500-1600 K. The resulting narrow-band light emission from thermally populated exciton states is spatially located to an only approximate to 50 nm wide region in the center of the device and goes along with a negative differential electrical conductance of the channel.