Pressure-triggered Stacking Dependence of Interlayer Coupling in Bilayer WS2

Tungsten disulfide (WS2) has been reported to show negligible stacking dependence under ambient conditions, impeding its further explorations on physical properties and potential applications. Here, we realize efficient modulation of interlayer coupling in bilayer WS2 with 3R and 2H stackings by high pressure, and find that the pressure-triggered interlayer coupling and pressure-induced resonant-to-nonresonant transition exhibit prominent stacking dependence, which are experimentally observed for the first time in WS2. Our work may unleash the stacking degree of freedom in designing WS2 devices with tailored properties correlated to interlayer coupling.