Single- and bi-layer MoS ₂ are two-dimensional semiconductors able to withstand very large deformations before failure, standing out as suitable templates for strain engineering applications and flexible electronics. It is imperative, for the proper integration of this material in practical applications, that the relationship between material property and strain is well understood. Two dimensional MoS ₂ crystals fabricated by chemical vapor deposition or micromechanical exfoliation are transferred onto flexible substrates and subjected to biaxial tension on a carefully designed and assessed loading stage with high accuracy and control. The successful stress transfer from substrate to the overlying 2D crystal is identified by in-situ monitoring of the strain-induced phonon frequency and photoluminescence peak shifts. Reliable values for the mode Grüneisen parameters and exciton deformation potentials were obtained by studying a significant number of crystals. The experimental results are backed by density functional theory calculations and are in good agreement with the experiments. This work highlights the potential of these materials in strain engineering applications and gives accurate values for single- and bi-layer MoS ₂ thermomechanical parameters.

Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) is a powerful, non-destructive technique for enhancing molecular spectra, first discovered in 1974. This study investigates the enhancement of Raman signals from single- and few-layer molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) when interacting with silver nanoparticles. We synthesized a MoS₂ membrane primarily consisting of monolayers and bilayers through a wet chemical vapor deposition method using metal salts. The silver nanoparticles were either directly grown on the MoS₂ membrane or placed beneath it. Raman measurements revealed a significant increase in signal intensity from the MoS₂ membrane on the silver nanoparticles, attributed to localized surface plasmon resonances that facilitate SERS. Our results indicate that dichalcogenide/plasmonic systems have promising applications in the semiconductor industry.

Nanoscale-engineered surfaces induce regulated strain in atomic layers of 2D materials that could be useful for unprecedented photonics applications and for storing and processing quantum information. Nevertheless, these strained structures need to be investigated extensively. Here, we present texture-induced strain distribution in single-layer WS₂ (1L-WS₂) transferred over Si/SiO₂ (285 nm) substrate. The detailed nanoscale landscapes and their optical detection are carried out through Atomic Force Microscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy, and optical spectroscopy. Remarkable differences have been observed in the WS₂ sheet localized in the confined well and at the periphery of the cylindrical geometry of the capped engineered surface. Raman spectroscopy independently maps the whole landscape of the samples, and temperature-dependent helicity-resolved photoluminescence (PL) experiments (off-resonance excitation) show that suspended areas sustain circular polarization from 150 K up to 300 K, in contrast to supported (on un-patterned area of Si/SiO₂) and strained 1L-WS₂. Our study highlights the impact of the dielectric environment on the optical properties of two-dimensional (2D) materials, providing valuable insights into the selection of appropriate substrates for implementing atomically thin materials in advanced optoelectronic devices.