A study on new one-dimensional (1D) materials with exceptional excitonic properties has been accepted for publication in ACS Nano, one of the leading international journals in nanoscience and nanotechnology.
The research includes significant contributions from Simone Grillo, Maurizia Palummo, and Olivia Pulci of the University of Rome Tor Vergata, in collaboration with international partners, including Nicola Marzari (University of Cambridge).
The study investigates a new class of one-dimensional (1D) semiconducting materials obtained by exfoliating van der Waals–bonded bulk crystals. Focusing on four chalcogenide atomic chains — S₃, Te₃, As₂S₃, and Bi₂Te₃ — the team employed advanced first-principles computational methods to explore their electronic and optical properties.
The results reveal that these atomically thin wires are structurally stable and exhibit remarkably strong excitonic effects, with exciton binding energies between 1 and 3 eV — among the largest reported for low-dimensional semiconductors. Such strong electron–hole interactions suggest that excitonic phenomena may remain robust even at room temperature, making these materials promising candidates for future optoelectronic technologies.
Notably, the materials span a broad optical range, from the infrared (Bi₂Te₃) through the visible spectrum (Te₃ and As₂S₃) to the ultraviolet (S₃), highlighting their versatility for broadband nanoscale applications.
These findings provide new insight into the optoelectronic behaviour of exfoliable one-dimensional materials and open exciting perspectives for next-generation nanoscale devices.
ACS Nano 2026 20 (3), 2664-2677. DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.5c14061
