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Enhanced ultraviolet absorption in BN monolayers caused by tunable buckling

The optical properties of a hexagonal Boron Nitride (BN) monolayer across the UV spectrum are studied by tuning its planar buckling. The strong $σ\text{-}σ$ bond through sp$^2$ hybridization of a flat BN monolayer can be changed to a stronger $σ\text{-}π$ bond through sp$^3$ hybridization by increasing the planar buckling. This gives rise to the $s$- and $p$-orbital contributions to form a density of states around the Fermi energy, and these states dislocate to a lower energy in the presence of an increased planar buckling. Consequently, the wide band gap of a flat BN monolayer is reduced to a smaller band gap in a buckled BN monolayer enhancing its optical activity in the Deep-UV region. The optical properties such as the dielectric function, the reflectivity, the absorption, and the optical conductivity spectra are investigated. It is shown that the absorption rate can be enhanced by $(12\text{-}15)\%$ for intermediate values of planar buckling in the Deep-UV region, and $(15\text{-}20)\%$ at higher values of planar buckling in the near-UV region. Furthermore, the optical conductivity is enhanced by increased planar buckling in both the visible and the Deep-UV regions depending on the direction of the polarization of the incoming light. Our results may be useful for optoelectronic BN monolayer devices in the UV range including UV spectroscopy, deep-UV communications, and UV photodetectors.