In monolayer transition-metal dichalcogenides, localized strain can be used to design nanoarrays of single photon sources. Despite strong empirical correlation, the nanoscale interplay between excitons and local crystalline structure that gives rise to these quantum emitters is poorly understood. Here, we combine room-temperature nano-optical imaging and spectroscopic analysis of excitons in nanobubbles of monolayer WSe₂ with atomistic models to study how strain induces nanoscale confinement potentials and localized exciton states. The imaging of nanobubbles in monolayers with low defect concentrations reveals localized excitons on length scales of around 10 nm at multiple sites around the periphery of individual nanobubbles, in stark contrast to predictions of continuum models of strain. These results agree with theoretical confinement potentials atomistically derived from the measured topographies of nanobubbles. Our results provide experimental and theoretical insights into strain-induced exciton localization on length scales commensurate with exciton size, realizing key nanoscale structure–property information on quantum emitters in monolayer WSe₂.

在单层过渡金属二卤化物中，局部应变可用于设计单光子源的纳米阵列。尽管存在着很强的经验相关性，但人们对激子与产生这些量子发射体的局部晶体结构之间的纳米级相互作用却知之甚少。在这里，我们结合了室温纳米光学成像和单层WSe ₂纳米气泡中激子的光谱分析。用原子模型研究应变如何诱发纳米级约束电位和局部激子态。具有低缺陷浓度的单层纳米气泡的成像揭示了单个纳米气泡外围周围多个位置处约10 nm长度尺度上的局部激子，与连续应变模型的预测形成鲜明对比。这些结果与从测量的纳米气泡形貌原子地得出的理论限制电位一致。我们的结果为应变诱导的激子在与激子尺寸相对应的长度尺度上的激子局部化提供了实验和理论上的见识，实现了单层WSe _2中量子发射体的关键纳米尺度结构-性质信息。