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Light Beams Shift Atoms in Groundbreaking Material Study

11/5/2025

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Summary

Story summary

Researchers at Rice University found that light beams can shift atoms in two-layer Janus transition metal dichalcogenides.
The effect, known as optostriction, tunes material properties with light rather than electricity.
The researchers studied a two-layer Janus TMD of molybdenum sulfur selenide stacked on molybdenum disulfide.
Illumination displaced the atomic lattice and distorted the second harmonic generation pattern.
ACS Nano published the findings.

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Story summary

Researchers at Rice University found that light beams can shift atoms in two-layer Janus transition metal dichalcogenides.
The effect, known as optostriction, tunes material properties with light rather than electricity.
The researchers studied a two-layer Janus TMD of molybdenum sulfur selenide stacked on molybdenum disulfide.
Illumination displaced the atomic lattice and distorted the second harmonic generation pattern.
ACS Nano published the findings.