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Two-dimensional (2D) layered silicon telluride (Si2Te3) nanocrystals were compressed to 12 GPa using diamond anvil cell techniques. Optical measurements show a color change from transparent red to opaque black indicating a semiconductor-to-metal phase transition. Raman scattering was used to observe the stiffening of the crystal lattice and subsequent phase behavior. A possible phase transition was observed at 9.5 ± 0.5 GPa evidenced by the disappearance of the A1g stretching mode. Si2Te3 was intercalated with elemental manganese to ~ 1 at.%. Intercalation lowers the pressure of the proposed phase transition to 7.5 ± 1 GPa. Raman modes show both phonon stiffening and phonon softening, suggesting negative linear compressibility. These results provide fundamental insight into the high-pressure optical phonon behavior of silicon telluride and illuminate how a specific electron-donating intercalant can chemically alter pressure-dependent optical phonon behavior.

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Publication history
Copyright
Acknowledgements

Publication history

Received: 08 January 2019
Revised: 18 March 2019
Accepted: 19 March 2019
Published: 02 April 2019
Issue date: September 2019

Copyright

© Tsinghua University Press and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2019

Acknowledgements

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Office of Naval Research (No. N00014-16-1-3161).

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