Room temperature polarization-resolved Raman and photoluminescence in uniaxially strained layered MoS2

Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) are one of the material systems of choice toward achieving room temperature quantum coherence. Externally applied strain is used as a more common control mechanism to tune electro-optical properties in TMDCs like molybdenum disulfide (MoS2). However, room temperature electron–phonon interactions in the presence of strain in transition metal dichalcogenides are still not fully explored. In this work, we employ uniaxial strain dependent Raman and photoluminescence (PL) studies on monolayer and bilayer MoS2 to explore electron–phonon physics. Helicity-resolved Raman in MoS2 obeys robust selection rules. Our studies reveal clear modification in these helicity-based selection rules in the presence of moderate uniaxial strain (ϵ = 0.4%–1.2%). The selection rules are restored upon clear symmetry breaking of the in-plane vibrational mode (ϵ > 1.2%). We assign these changes to the onset of Fröhlich interaction in this moderate strain regime. The changes in Raman scattering are accompanied by changes in valley selective relaxation observed through non-resonant photoluminescence (PL). The moderate strain regime also exhibits the onset of PL polarization for indirect excitonic emission under non-resonant excitation. Our experimental observations point toward electron–phonon coupling mechanisms affecting both valley-selective electron relaxation during PL emission as well as polarization-selective Raman scattering of two-dimensional semiconductors at room temperature.