Perspective on 2D material polaritons and innovative fabrication techniques

In this Perspective, we present that polariton modes hosted in two-dimensional (2D) materials can be used to increase and control light-matter interactions at the nanoscale. We analyze the optical response of the most used 2D material nanostructures that support plasmon, exciton, and phonon polariton modes. Polariton characteristic lengths are used to assess the hybrid light-matter modes of different 2D material monolayers and nanoribbons. We present that the 2D material nanodisk can act like a cavity that supports localized polariton modes, which can be excited by a nearby placed quantum system to present ultra-fast and ultra-bright operation. The key to achieve high quality 2D polariton modes is to reduce material losses. Thus, state-of-the-art exfoliation, chemical vapor deposition, and transferring techniques of 2D materials are introduced to fabricate nanostructures that fulfill the stringent requirements of applications in photonics, optoelectronics, and quantum technologies. (C) 2021 Author(s). All article content, except where otherwise noted, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

Automated summary

This Perspective presents the application of polariton modes in two-dimensional materials to enhance and control light-matter interactions at the nanoscale. By analyzing the optical response of various 2D material nanostructures, the hybrid light-matter modes are evaluated.