Interfacial charge transfers and ultrafast nonlinear optical response via constructing electronic structure-induced MoS2/ZnO heterostructure

The molybdenum disulfide (MoS 2 ) and ZnO composite system have reported as micro-nano photonic crystals in integrated optics. Based on interface engineering, their tunable nonlinear absorption (NLA) and photoelectric characteristics offer a flexible design strategies for saturation absorber and optical limiters. Nevertheless, the mechanism leading to the tunable NLA behavior has not been clearly elucidated, which were attribute to complex charge transfers and carrier regulation characteristics. In this article, MoS 2 /ZnO heterostructures with excellent nonlinear properties composed of ZnO nanorods (NRs) wrapped with MoS 2 nanosheets were prepared by magnetron sputtering (MS) synthesis of MoS 2 on highly stacked ZnO NRs. The MoS 2 /ZnO heterostructures exhibit an interesting brush-like morphology with abundant heterointerfaces base on optimizing sputtering time and temperature, which was beneficial to provide efficient charge transfer pathways. Due to the uneven distribution of the lowest nucleation free energy, MoS 2 nanosheets possess a hybrid mode of parallel (C // ) and perpendicular orientations (C ┴ ) on surface of ZnO NRs, which tends to form the bending and vertical growth of layered MoS 2 nanosheets. From electron-photon coupling effect, MoS 2 nanosheets, ZnO NRs and MoS 2 /ZnO heterostructures possess favorable saturation absorption (SA), reverse saturation absorption (RSA) and coexisting absorption behavior, respectively. In addition, a changeover from RSA to SA could be realized in MoS 2 /ZnO heterostructures by increasing the sputtering time. The NLA coefficient of MoS 2 /ZnO heterostructures are in the order of 10 −10 cm/W, which are about 2 times larger than those of the ZnO NRs. Thus, the MoS 2 /ZnO heterostructures with excellent NLA properties will be promising candidates in optoelectronic devices. • The interfacial charge transfers and carrier regulation characteristics of MoS 2 /ZnO composite have been studied. • The ultrafast nonlinear optical properties of MoS 2 /ZnO composite were analyzed. • The mechanism of growth and nonlinear absorption for MoS 2 /ZnO composite is analyzed.