Silicon Nanosheets versus Graphene Nanosheets: A Comparison of Their Nonlinear Optical Response

Silicene, the silicon analogue of graphene, represents a new class of two-dimensional (2D) materials, which shares some of the outstanding physical properties of graphene. Furthermore, it has the advantage of being compatible with the current Si-based technology. However, this 2D material is not stable and is quite prone to oxidation. The hydride-terminated silicene, called silicane, is a more stable form of 2D silicon, if functionalized via, for example, the hydrosilylation reaction. In this work, the third-order nonlinear optical (NLO) properties of two functionalized silicanes, namely hydrideterminated silicon nanosheets (SiNS-H) and 1-dodecene-functionalized silicon nanosheets (SINS-dodecene), are accessed and compared to those of single-layer graphene, under 35 ps, 532 and 1064 nm excitation. The present results show that the functionalized silicanes exhibit comparable and even higher NLO response than that of single-layer graphene, making them strong competitors of graphene and very interesting candidates for future photonic and optoelectronic applications.

Automated summary

Silicene, the silicon analogue of graphene, shares outstanding physical properties with graphene, but is not stable and is prone to oxidation. Functionalized silicanes, such as hydrideterminated silicon nanosheets, exhibit comparable or even higher nonlinear optical response than single-layer graphene, making them strong competitors for future photonic and optoelectronic applications.