image: Figure 1 Plasmonic nanocavities composed of plasmonic nanoparticle deposited on metal thin films with integrated two-dimensional materials.
Credit: OES
A new publication from Opto-Electronic Sciences; DOI 10.29026/oes.2024.240011 , discusses control of light–matter interactions in two-dimensional materials with nanoparticle-on-mirror structures.
Two-dimensional materials have a thickness of only a single or a few atomic layers, which endows them with unique optical, electrical, mechanical, and thermal properties. This review focuses on monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides, which are direct bandgap semiconductors with emission wavelengths in the visible range.
Plasmonic nanocavities are composed of plasmonic nanoparticles deposited on a flat thin film made of Au or Ag, with a thin dielectric gap layer in between. Plasmonic nanocavities, compared to single plasmonic nanoparticles, possess stronger electromagnetic field enhancement and extremely small mode volumes.
Integration of two-dimensional materials and plasmonic nanocavities is a win-win strategy. On the one hand, the atomic layer thickness of two-dimensional materials provides a microscopic “ruler” for the construction of plasmonic nanocavities; on the other hand, the strong electromagnetic field enhancement of plasmonic nanocavities enables novel light–matter interactions within two-dimensional materials. The aforementioned research holds significant application prospects in quantum light sources, high-sensitivity sensors, and solar energy conversion.
This review article focuses on a new type of plasmonic nanocavities with integrated two-dimensional materials to study plasmon–exciton coupling. The authors first explore the principles of electromagnetic field enhancement in plasmonic nanocavities and the reliable methods for constructing these nanostructures in the article. The introduction of two-dimensional materials enables the construction of plasmonic nanocavities at the atomic scale. The review deeply analyzes the fascinating phenomena of controlling interactions between light and excitons and phonons in two-dimensional materials. Under the strong electromagnetic field in plasmonic nanocavities, varying degrees of coupling, from weak coupling to strong coupling, occur between plasmons and the luminescent units (excitons) in two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides; meanwhile, plasmons also affect the lattice vibration modes (phonons) of two-dimensional materials and can introduce nonlinear optical effects in conventional environments. Furthermore, the article also provides a detailed analysis of quantum phenomena and quantum plasmonic modes in this new structure. Overall, the integrated structure of two-dimensional materials and plasmonic nanocavities provides an excellent platform for showcasing the microprocesses of light-matter interactions in two-dimensional materials, and the significant advancements in quantum light sources, high-sensitivity sensors, and solar energy conversion.
The fascinating encounter between two-dimensional materials and plasmonic nanocavities at the nanoscale provides an excellent platform for showcasing the microprocesses of light-matter interactions. In future research, the reliable construction and innovative design of integrated structures should be explored. The powerful plasmonic tools can be deeply delved into the novel optical effects in two-dimensional materials (such as valley properties, and moiré superlattices) to reveal more possibilities.
Keywords: light–matter interactions / nanoparticle-on-mirror structures / plasmonic enhancement / two-dimensional materials
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Professor Jianfang Wang’s group has long focused on the synthesis of colloidal metal nanoparticles, their plasmonic properties, and their applications, achieving significant research results. Currently, the group’s main research areas include nanoplasmonics, nanophotonics, two-dimensional optoelectronic materials, and photocatalysis. Professor Wang joined the Department of Physics at The Chinese University of Hong Kong in 2005 and was promoted to full professor in 2015. To date, Professor Wang has supervised over 80 graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and visiting scholars. His group has published over 300 peer-reviewed scientific papers in internationally leading journals. Professor Wang has received multiple awards, including Croucher Senior Research Fellowship, CUHK Young Researcher Award, CUHK Outstanding Researcher Award, the First-Class Natural Science Award from the Ministry of Education of China, and the First-Class Award from the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology of Iran. Professor Wang is currently a distinguished member of the Faculty of Science at CUHK and a fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry. The website of Prof. WANG’s research group: www.phy.cuhk.edu.hk/~jfwang/
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Opto-Electronic Science (OES) is a peer-reviewed, open access, interdisciplinary and international journal published by The Institute of Optics and Electronics, Chinese Academy of Sciences as a sister journal of Opto-Electronic Advances (OEA, IF=15.3). OES is dedicated to providing a professional platform to promote academic exchange and accelerate innovation. OES publishes articles, reviews, and letters of the fundamental breakthroughs in basic science of optics and optoelectronics.
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Li SS, Fang YN, Wang JF. Control of light–matter interactions in two-dimensional materials with nanoparticle-on-mirror structures. Opto-Electron Sci 3, 240011 (2024). doi: 10.29026/oes.2024.240011
Journal
Opto-Electronic Science