Strain- and potential-controlled tunneling in monolayer MoS$_2$

Abstract

We present a theoretical study of spin- and valley-resolved quantum transport in monolayer MoS$_2$ under the combined influence of mechanical strain and an external scalar potential, a combination whose simultaneous unexplored. Within an effective massive Dirac Hamiltonian that incorporates intrinsic spin--orbit coupling, strain induces valley-dependent momentum shifts that lift the degeneracy between the $K$ and $K'$ valleys and strongly modify the transport characteristics. The scalar potential modifies the tunneling spectrum, leading to pronounced changes in resonant transmission, Fabry--Pérot interference, and conductance. We show that the interplay between strain and electrostatic potential enables efficient control of both valley and spin polarization of the transmitted current. In particular, we identify a dual-knob control scheme in which the barrier width governs the frequency of conductance oscillations while strain independently controls their phase and amplitude. Furthermore, we predict electrostatic spin inversion -- a sign reversal of spin polarization achievable purely by gate tuning at finite strain, requiring no geometric reconfiguration. Depending on the strain orientation, the transmission probability and conductance can be selectively suppressed or enhanced, resulting in highly tunable valley- and spin-polarized transport. These findings demonstrate that strain and potential engineering provide orthogonal and independently operable mechanisms for controlling conductance as well as spin and valley degrees of freedom in monolayer MoS$_2$, offering promising prospects for spintronic and valleytronic device applications.