α-RuCl₃ is a layered transition metal halide that possesses a range of exotic magnetic, optical, and electronic properties including fractional excitations indicative of a proximate Kitaev quantum spin liquid (QSL). While previous reports have explored these properties on idealized single crystals or mechanically exfoliated samples, the scalable production of α-RuCl₃ nanosheets has not yet been demonstrated. Here, we perform liquid-phase exfoliation (LPE) of α-RuCl₃ through an electrochemically assisted approach, which yields ultrathin, electron-doped α-RuCl₃ nanosheets that are then assembled into electrically conductive large-area thin films. The crystalline integrity of the α-RuCl₃ nanosheets following LPE is confirmed through a wide range of structural and chemical analyses. Moreover, the physical properties of the LPE α-RuCl₃ nanosheets are investigated through electrical, optical, and magnetic characterization methods, which reveal a structural phase transition at 230 K that is consistent with the onset of Kitaev paramagnetism in addition to an antiferromagnetic transition at 2.6 K. Intercalated ions from the electrochemical LPE protocol favorably alter the optical response of the α-RuCl₃ nanosheets, enabling large-area Mott insulator photodetectors that operate at telecommunications-relevant infrared wavelengths near 1.55 μm. These photodetectors show a linear photocurrent response as a function of incident power, which suggests negligible trap-mediated recombination or photothermal effects, ultimately resulting in a photoresponsivity of ≈2 mA/W.

中文翻译：

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磁性和光电活性三氯化钌纳米片的液相剥离

α-RuCl ₃是一种层状过渡金属卤化物，具有一系列奇异的磁、光和电子特性，包括表明接近 Kitaev 量子自旋液体 (QSL) 的分数激发。虽然之前的报告已经探索了理想化单晶或机械剥离样品的这些特性，但尚未证明α-RuCl _{3纳米片的可扩展生产。}在这里，我们通过电化学辅助方法对 α-RuCl ₃进行液相剥离 (LPE) ，产生超薄、电子掺杂的 α-RuCl ₃纳米片，然后将其组装成导电的大面积薄膜。_{α-RuCl 3}的结晶完整性LPE 之后的纳米片通过广泛的结构和化学分析得到证实。_{此外，通过电学、光学和磁学表征方法研究了 LPE α-RuCl 3}纳米片的物理性质，揭示了 230 K 的结构相变，这与 Kitaev 顺磁性的开始以及 230 K 的反铁磁转变一致2.6 K. 来自电化学 LPE 方案的嵌入离子有利于改变 α-RuCl _{3的光学响应}纳米片，使大面积莫特绝缘体光电探测器能够在 1.55 μm 附近的电信相关红外波长下工作。这些光电探测器显示线性光电流响应作为入射功率的函数，这表明陷阱介导的复合或光热效应可忽略不计，最终导致光响应性≈2 mA/W。