Plasmons on the edge of MoS₂ nanostructures

Using ab initio calculations we predict the existence of one-dimensional (1D), atomically confined plasmons at the edges of a zigzag MoS₂ nanoribbon. The strongest plasmon originates from a metallic edge state localized on the sulfur dimers decorating the Mo edge of the ribbon. A detailed analysis of the dielectric function reveals that the observed deviations from the ideal 1D plasmon behavior result from single-particle transitions between the metallic edge state and the valence and conduction bands of the MoS₂ sheet. The Mo and S edges of the ribbon are clearly distinguishable in calculated spatially resolved electron energy loss spectrum owing to the different plasmonic properties of the two edges. The edge plasmons could potentially be utilized for tuning the photocatalytic activity of MoS₂ nanoparticles.