Interlayer vibrational hybrid normal mode enabling molecular chiral phonons

Abstract

Organic/inorganic interfaces formed by monolayer substrates and conjugated molecular adsorbates are attractive material platforms leveraging the modularity of organic compounds together with the long-range phenomena typical of condensed matter. New quantum states are known to be generated by electronic interactions in these systems as well as by their coupling with light. However, little is still known about hybrid vibrational modes. In this work, we discover from first principles the existence of an infrared-active chiral phonon mode in a pyrene-decorated MoSe$_{2}$ monolayer given by the combination of a frustrated rotation of the molecule around its central axis and an optical mode in the substrate. Our results suggest the possibility to enable phonon chirality in molecular superlattices.