What is it about?
Silicon telluride (Si2Te3) is a two-dimensional material with a unique variable structure where the silicon atoms form Si-Si dimers to fill the “metal” sites between the Te layers in different possible orientations. The structural variability of Si2Te3 allows unusual properties, especially mechanical properties. Using results from first-principles calculations, we show that the Si2Te3 monolayer can sustain a uniaxial tensile strain up to 38%, the highest among all two-dimensional materials reported.
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Why is it important?
The high mechanical flexibility allows applying mechanical strain to reduce the bandgap by 1.5 eV. With increasing strain, the bandgap undergoes an unusual indirect-direct-indirect-direct transition. We show that the uniaxial strain can effectively control the Si-Si dimer alignment, which is beneficial for practical applications.
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This page is a summary of: Ultra-high mechanical flexibility of 2D silicon telluride, Applied Physics Letters, January 2020, American Institute of Physics,
DOI: 10.1063/1.5120533.
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