Engineering whispering gallery modes in MoSe$_2$/WS$_2$ double heterostructure nanocavities: Towards developing all-TMDC light sources

Abstract: Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) have emerged as highly promising materials for nanophotonics and optoelectronics due to their exceptionally high refractive indices, strong excitonic photoluminescence (PL) in monolayer configurations, and the versatility to engineer van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures. In this work, we exploit the intense excitonic PL of a MoSe$_2$ monolayer combined with the high refractive index of bulk WS$_2$ to fabricate microdisk cavities with tunable light emission characteristics. These microdisks are created from a 50-nm-thick WS$_2$/MoSe$_2$/WS$_2$ double heterostructure using frictional mechanical scanning probe lithography. The resulting cavities achieve a 4-10-fold enhancement in excitonic PL from the MoSe$_2$ monolayer at wavelengths near 800 nm. The excitonic PL peak is modulated by sharp spectral features, which correspond to whispering gallery modes (WGMs) supported by the cavity. A microdisk with a diameter of 2.35 $\mu$m demonstrates WGMs with a quality factor of up to 700, significantly surpassing theoretical predictions and suggesting strong potential for lasing applications. The spectral positions of the WGMs can be finely tuned by adjusting the microdisk's diameter and thickness, as confirmed by theoretical calculations. This approach offers a novel route for developing ultra-compact, all-TMDC double heterostructure light sources with record-small size.