Tuning the trion photoluminescence polarization in monolayer WS$_{2}$

Monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) such as MoS$_{2}$ or WS$_{2}$ are semiconductors with degenerate, yet inequivalent k-points labeled K and K’ that define the direct gap. The valence band maximum in each valley has only one spin state of opposite sense for K and K’. Consequently, one can selectively populate each valley independently with circularly polarized light, and determine the valley populations via the polarization of emitted light. Optical emission is dominated by neutral and charged exciton (trion) features, and changes in emitted polarization provide insight into the fundamental processes of intervalley scattering. We prepare single-layer WS2 films such that the photoluminescence is from the negatively charged trion and observe a room temperature optical polarization in excess of 40% for the trion. Using an applied gate voltage, we can modulate the electron density and subsequently the polarization continuously from 20-40%. Both the polarization and the emission energy monotonically track the gate voltage with the emission energy increasing by 45 meV. We discuss the role electron capture of the trion has on suppressing the intervalley scattering process.