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 854Graphene 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