Giant optical anisotropy in transition metal dichalcogenides for next-generation photonics
Journal article, 2021

Large optical anisotropy observed in a broad spectral range is of paramount importance for efficient light manipulation in countless devices. Although a giant anisotropy has been recently observed in the mid-infrared wavelength range, for visible and near-infrared spectral intervals, the problem remains acute with the highest reported birefringence values of 0.8 in BaTiS3 and h-BN crystals. This issue inspired an intensive search for giant optical anisotropy among natural and artificial materials. Here, we demonstrate that layered transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) provide an answer to this quest owing to their fundamental differences between intralayer strong covalent bonding and weak interlayer van der Waals interaction. To do this, we made correlative far- and near-field characterizations validated by first-principle calculations that reveal a huge birefringence of 1.5 in the infrared and 3 in the visible light for MoS2. Our findings demonstrate that this remarkable anisotropy allows for tackling the diffraction limit enabling an avenue for on-chip next-generation photonics. Optical anisotropy in a broad spectral range is pivotal to efficient light manipulation. Here, the authors measure a birefringence of 1.5 in the infrared range and 3 in the visible light for MoS2.

Author

G. A. Ermolaev

Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology

Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology

Grudinin

Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology

Stebunov

University of Manchester

K. V. Voronin

Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology

Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology

V. G. Kravets

University of Manchester

J. Duan

University of Oviedo

A. B. Mazitov

Dukhov Research Institute of Automatics (VNIIA)

Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology

Tselikov

Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology

A. Bylinkin

CIC nanoGUNE

Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology

Yakubovsky

Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology

Sergey M. Novikov

Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology

Denis Baranov

Chalmers, Physics, Nano and Biophysics

A. Y. Nikitin

Basque Foundation for Science (Ikerbasque)

Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology

Donostia International Physics Center

I. A. Kruglov

Dukhov Research Institute of Automatics (VNIIA)

Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology

Timur Shegai

Chalmers, Physics, Nano and Biophysics

P. Alonso-Gonzalez

University of Oviedo

A. N. Grigorenko

University of Manchester

Arsenin

Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology

Skolkovo Innovation Center

K. S. Novoselov

University of Manchester

National University of Singapore (NUS)

Chongqing 2D Materials Institute

V. S. Volkov

Skolkovo Innovation Center

Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology

Nature Communications

2041-1723 (ISSN) 20411723 (eISSN)

Vol. 12 1 854

Graphene Core Project 3 (Graphene Flagship)

European Commission (EC) (EC/H2020/881603), 2020-04-01 -- 2023-03-31.

Subject Categories

Atom and Molecular Physics and Optics

Other Physics Topics

Condensed Matter Physics

DOI

10.1038/s41467-021-21139-x

PubMed

33558559

More information

Latest update

4/9/2021 8