Blue emission at atomically sharp 1D heterojunctions between graphene and h-BN

Atomically sharp heterojunctions in lateral two-dimensional heterostructures can provide the narrowest one-dimensional functionalities driven by unusual interfacial electronic states. For instance, the highly controlled growth of patchworks of graphene and hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) would be a potential platform to explore unknown electronic, thermal, spin or optoelectronic property. However, to date, the possible emergence of physical properties and functionalities monitored by the interfaces between metallic graphene and insulating h-BN remains largely unexplored. Here, we demonstrate a blue emitting atomic-resolved hetero-junction between graphene and h-BN. Such emission is tentatively attributed to localized energy states formed at the disordered boundaries of h-BN and graphene. The weak blue emission at the heterojunctions in simple in-plane heterostructures of h-BN and graphene can be enhanced by increasing the density of the interface in graphene quantum dots array embedded in the h-BN monolayer. This work suggests that the narrowest, atomically resolved heterojunctions of in-plane two-dimensional heterostructures provides a future playground for optoelectronics.

Gwangwoo Kim, Kyung Yeol Ma, Minsu Park, Minsu Kim, Jonghyuk Jeon, Jinouk Song, José Eduardo Barrios-Vargas, Yuta Sato, Yung-Chang Lin, Kazu Suenaga, Stephan Roche, Seunghyup Yoo, Byeong-Hyeok Sohn, Seokwoo Jeon, Hyeon Suk Shin