Revisiting Dynamical Theory To Elucidate Friedel’s Law Breaking in Low-Energy Electron Diffraction as Strong Evidence of Unidirectional Growth of Monolayer 2H MoS 2

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Authors: Dohoon Kim, Joohee Oh, Chaehyeon Ahn, Joonbyeong Jeon, Hyeeree Joo, Hyunseob Lim
Cited by: 0
References: 67

Abstract

Unidirectional growth of monolayer molybdenum disulfide (MoS 2 ) holds immense promise for next-generation 2D electronics, yet robust and facile characterization techniques to verify its single-crystal characteristics at the wafer scale remain elusive. Although 3-fold symmetric low-energy electron diffraction (LEED) patterns have been presented as evidence of such growth, their fundamental origin and precise link to MoS 2 orientation have not been clearly understood. Here, we revisit dynamical theory to elucidate Friedel’s law breaking in LEED, providing a comprehensive understanding of energy-dependent LEED intensities that uniquely confirm unidirectional growth of the monolayer 2H MoS 2 . By systematically acquiring LEED intensity–voltage ( I – V ) curves, we reveal that the distinct intensity asymmetries observed in symmetry-related diffraction spots directly reflect the non-centrosymmetric characteristic of the MoS 2 monolayer, amplified by dynamical scattering. This approach allows an unambiguous determination of the monolayer orientation, addressing a critical gap in the qualitative interpretation of LEED.

Fields of Study & Subjects

2D Materials and Applications Graphene research and applications Surface and Thin Film Phenomena

Publication details

Journal / source
Nano Letters
Volume
26
Issue
2
Pages
747–754
Publication date
9 January 2026
Language
EN