Polarization-Dependent Plasmon-Induced Doping and Strain Effects in MoS2 Monolayers on Gold Nanostructures

Monolayers of transition-metal dichalcogenides, such as MoS2, have attracted significant attention for their exceptional electronic and optical properties, positioning them as ideal candidates for advanced optoelectronic applications. Despite their strong excitonic effects, the atomic-scale thickness of these materials limits their light absorption efficiency, necessitating innovative strategies to enhance light–matter interactions. Plasmonic nanostructures offer a promising solution to overcome those challenges by amplifying the electromagnetic field and also introducing other mechanisms, such as hot electron injection. In this study, we investigate the vibrational and optical properties of MoS2 monolayer deposited on gold substrates and gratings, emphasizing the role of strain and plasmonic effects using conventional spectroscopic techniques. Our results reveal significant biaxial strain in the supported regions and a uniaxial strain gradient in the suspended ones, showing a strain-induced exciton and carrier funneling effect toward the center of the nanogaps. Moreover, we observed an additional polarization-dependent doping mechanism in the suspended regions. This effect was attributed to localized surface plasmons generated within the slits, as confirmed by numerical simulations, which may decay nonradiatively into hot electrons and be injected into the monolayer. Photoluminescence measurements further demonstrated a polarization-dependent trion-to-A exciton intensity ratio, supporting the hypothesis of additional plasmon-induced doping. These findings provide a comprehensive understanding of the strain-mediated funneling effects and plasmonic interactions in hybrid MoS2/Au nanostructures, offering valuable insights for developing high-efficiency photonic devices and quantum technologies, including polarization-sensitive detectors and excitonic circuits.