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Anisotropic electron gas in a hyperbolic van der Waals material

delete2026-08-10
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OA
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N
Nicola Melchioni *
A
Andrea Mancini
A
Antonio Ambrosio *
DOI:10.1038/s42005-026-02802-5delete
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Abstract

Abstract

En 中文
Electron gases in low-dimensional materials exhibit unusual optical and electronic phenomena arising from reduced dimensionality and enhanced interactions. While such states are typically engineered in quantum-confined systems and heterostructures, they rarely occur in naturally existing materials. Hyperbolic materials provide a unique platform where extreme lattice anisotropy can give rise to unconventional electronic states and electron-phonon interactions, yet experimental probes of their underlying electron dynamics remain limited. Here, we show that angle-resolved polarized Raman spectroscopy reveals anisotropic electron-phonon coupling in MoOCl2, a naturally occurring hyperbolic material whose optical response originates from a highly anisotropic electron gas. Pronounced polarization-dependent Fano line shapes reveal coherent coupling between optical phonons and an anisotropic electronic continuum. A microscopic model quantitatively reproduces the Raman spectra and identifies a distinct spectroscopic fingerprint of the anisotropic electron gas. Excitation-energy- and thickness-dependent measurements further reveal a tunable continuum with weak interlayer coupling. Our results establish Raman spectroscopy as a sensitive probe of electron-phonon interactions in naturally hyperbolic materials and anisotropic electron gases. Low-dimensional electron gases can give rise to unusual light-matter interactions, but naturally occurring examples are rare. Here, the authors show that Raman spectroscopy reveals a unique fingerprint of the strongly anisotropic electron gas in the hyperbolic material MoOCl2 through its interaction with lattice vibrations.

Journal

Communications Physics cover
Communications Physics
IF:
5.8
Papers:
2.7K
Citations:
9.2K

Organization

C
centre for nano science and technology
Scholars:
4
Papers: 1
Citations: 0
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