How do lattice vibrations mediate charge transfer across an interface? Answering this question requires experimental techniques that can visualize ultrafast lattice dynamics accompanying a charge-transfer event. I will discuss our recent work on type-II van der Waals heterostructures, which serve as excellent model systems for studying phonon-assisted electron transfer. Using femtosecond diffraction, we uncover a new mechanism for rapid energy sharing between monolayer semiconductors, involving charge transfer through a hybridized electronic state mediated by phonon emission in both layers[1]. Our work illuminates a novel route to control energy transport across atomic junctions.
[1] Sood, Haber et al., Nat. Nanotechnol. (2023) https://doi.org/10.1038/s41565-022-01253-7
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