Excellent nonlinear absorption properties of beta-antimonene nanosheets

Since the exfoliation of phosphorene, group V elemental monolayers have emerged as promising 2D semiconducting materials. Antimonene, i.e. 2D Sb monolayer, is demonstrated to be stable and semiconducting, and is the recently proposed cousin of phosphorene. In this study, beta-antimonene nanosheets were exfoliated using liquid-phase exfoliation assisted by sonication. The step heights of antimonene nanosheets were around 5-16.5 nm. The nonlinear absorption properties of beta-antimonene nanosheets were systemically investigated using the Z-scan method. The saturated absorption performance and optical limiting behavior were simultaneously observed. Antimonene exhibited intense saturated absorption and two-photon absorption properties. The nonlinear absorption performance upon excitation at 1064 nm is a little better than that upon excitation at 532 nm. Our results demonstrate that antimonene is a promising candidate as a saturable absorber and an optical limiting material.