title: Constructing metallic nanoroads on a MoS₂ monolayer via hydrogenation.
abstract: Monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides recently emerged as a new family of two-dimensional materials potentially suitable for numerous applications in electronic and optoelectronic devices due to the presence of a finite band gap. Many proposed applications require efficient transport of charge carriers within these semiconducting monolayers. However, constructing a stable conducting nanoroad on these atomically thin semiconductors is still a challenge. Here we demonstrate that hydrogenation on the surface of a MoS₂ monolayer induces a semiconductor-metal transition, and strip-patterned hydrogenation is able to generate a conducting nanoroad. The band-gap closing arises from the formation of in-gap hybridized states mainly consisting of Mo 4d orbitals, as well as the electron donation from hydrogen to the lattice host. Ballistic conductance calculations reveal that such a nanoroad on the MoS₂ surface exhibits an integer conductance, indicating small carrier scattering, and thus is ideal for serving as a conducting channel or an interconnect without compromising the mechanical and structural integrity of the monolayer.
authors.affiliation: Institute of High Performance Computing, 1 Fusionopolis Way, Singapore, 138632, Singapore. zhangyw@ihpc.a-star.edu.sg.
authors.forename: Yongqing
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.forename: Zhaoqiang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Bai
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: Yuan Ping
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Boris I
authors.initials: BI
authors.lastname: Yakobson
authors.forename: Yong-Wei
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Zhang