Terahertz Surface Emission from Layered MoS2 Crystal: Competition between Surface Optical Rectification and Surface Photocurrent Surge

Abstract

Terahertz (THz) radiation of layered molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) crystal under femtosecond laser irradiation was observed using THz surface emission spectroscopy under variable-angle transmission configuration. Although MoS2 demonstrates inversion symmetry, surface-symmetry breaking will introduce the resonant optical rectification, which is consistent with the incident polarization and azimuthal angle dependences of the THz radiation from MoS2. However, the surface depletion field induced THz radiation will make an important contribution under oblique incidence, which is consistent with the radiation saturation due to the electrostatic screening effect by photoexcited carriers. This pump-dependent saturable THz radiation can be fitted well by the calculation from Maxwell equations with electromagnetic boundary conditions. The maximum of the surface depletion field is estimated to be 1.45 × 104 V/cm with 130 nm in depth under −40° incidence. Interestingly, when the incident angle is tuned from −40° to 0°,...