Resonant inelastic x-ray scattering of 2D van der Waals materials

The flatland has proven to be a rich and exciting domain for the exploration of new and exotic phases of matter. The flexibility of design offered in morié heterostructures of exfoliated 2D flakes has opened a great many new quantum states to investigation. However, the inherently limited sample volume of such two-dimensional structures poses significant challenges to the application of some conventional spectroscopic techniques, including inelastic neutron and x-ray scattering. Recent advancements, however, in the synthesis of large-area exfoliated 2D materials provide a path to applying x-ray spectroscopy to such structures and materials. In this talk, we will discuss resonant inelastic x-ray scattering (RIXS) measurements of van der Waals materials including MoS₂ and graphene. We highlight that combination of energy and momentum resolution offered in RIXS make it an attractive tool for the study of charge, magnetic, and vibrational excitations, and the enhanced cross section and elemental selectivity allow the targeting of specific layers within heterostructures.