Phase change materials for nano-polaritonics: a case study of hBN/VO2 heterostructures

TL;DR

This study demonstrates the dynamic and reversible tuning of hyperbolic phonon polaritons in hBN/VO2 heterostructures via temperature-induced phase transitions in VO2, highlighting potential for light-matter interaction control.

Contribution

The paper introduces a novel vdW heterostructure combining hBN and VO2, showing reversible polariton tuning through phase change, which was not previously demonstrated.

Findings

Reversible tuning of polaritons with temperature.

Dielectric property change in VO2 affects polariton behavior.

Potential for phase change material applications in nanophotonics.

Abstract

Polaritonic excitation and control in van der Waals (vdW) materials exhibit superior merits than conventional materials and thus hold new promise for exploring light matter interactions. In this work, we created vdW heterostructures combining hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) and a representative phase change material - vanadium dioxide (VO2). Using infrared nano-spectroscopy and nano-imaging, we demonstrated the dynamic tunability of hyperbolic phonon polaritons in hBN/VO2 heterostructures by temperature control in a precise and reversible fashion. The dynamic tuning of the polaritons stems from the change of local dielectric properties of the VO2 sublayer through insulator to metal transition by the temperature control. The high susceptibility of polaritons to electronic phase transitions opens possibilities for applications of vdW materials in combination with correlated phase change materials.