Plasmons in the van der Waals charge-density-wave material 2H-TaSe2

Plasmons in two-dimensional (2D) materials beyond graphene have recently gained much attention. However, the experimental investigation is limited due to the lack of suitable materials. Here, we experimentally demonstrate localized plasmons in a correlated 2D charge-density-wave (CDW) material: 2H-TaSe2. The plasmon resonance can cover a broad spectral range from the terahertz (40 mu m) to the telecom (1.55 mu m) region, which is further tunable by changing thickness and dielectric environments. The plasmon dispersion flattens at large wave vectors, resulted from the universal screening effect of interband transitions. More interestingly, anomalous temperature dependence of plasmon resonances associated with CDW excitations is observed. In the CDW phase, the plasmon peak close to the CDW excitation frequency becomes wider and asymmetric, mimicking two coupled oscillators. Our study not only reveals the universal role of the intrinsic screening on 2D plasmons, but also opens an avenue for tunable plasmons in 2D correlated materials. Here, arrays of 2H-TaSe2 nanoribbons are shown to exhibit a broadband plasmonic response that can be tuned from THz to telecom range. These localized plasmons can also couple to charge density wave excitations, offering insights on the physics of plasmonic excitations in 2D correlated materials.

Automated summary

Localized plasmons in the correlated 2D charge-density-wave material 2H-TaSe2 demonstrate a broad spectral range from terahertz to telecom, tunable by thickness and dielectric environments. These plasmons exhibit anomalous temperature dependence associated with CDW excitations, widening and asymmetrically shaping the plasmon peak. The study reveals the role of intrinsic screening on 2D plasmons and the potential for tunable plasmons in 2D correlated materials.