New laser-passivation method increases efficiency of leading-edge LEDs

Scientists at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL; Washington, DC) have discovered a new method to passivate defects in next-generation monolayer optical materials to improve optical quality and enable the miniaturization of monolayer-based LEDs and other optical elements. The NRL scientists developed a laser-processing technique to significantly improve the optical properties of monolayer molybdenum disulphide (MoS2), a direct gap semiconductor, with high spatial resolution. Their process produces a 200-fold increase in the material's optical-emission efficiency in the areas written with the laser beam. The resulting passivation is stable in air and vacuum.