Quantum Nanophotonics in Two-Dimensional Materials

TL;DR

This paper reviews the rapid advancements in 2D materials-based nanophotonics, highlighting quantum phenomena, novel polaritonic effects, and the use of 2D systems as sensitive probes for quantum properties of materials.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of quantum nanophotonics phenomena in 2D materials and discusses their potential applications as probes for quantum properties.

Findings

Identification of various polaritonic classes with atomic-scale confinement

Examples of quantum effects such as nonlocality and ultrastrong coupling

Use of 2D materials as sensitive probes for quantum excitations

Abstract

The field of 2D materials-based nanophotonics has been growing at a rapid pace, triggered by the ability to design nanophotonic systems with in situ control, unprecedented degrees of freedom, and to build material heterostructures from bottom up with atomic precision. A wide palette of polaritonic classes have been identified, comprising ultra confined optical fields, even approaching characteristic length scales of a single atom. These advances have been a real boost for the emerging field of quantum nanophotonics, where the quantum mechanical nature of the electrons and-or polaritons and their interactions become relevant. Examples include, quantum nonlocal effects, ultrastrong light matter interactions, Cherenkov radiation, access to forbidden transitions, hydrodynamic effects, single plasmon nonlinearities, polaritonic quantization, topological effects etc. In addition to these intrinsic quantum nanophotonic phenomena, the 2D material system can also be used as a sensitive probe for the quantum properties of the material that carries the nanophotonics modes, or quantum materials in its vicinity. Here, polaritons act as a probe for otherwise invisible excitations, e.g. in superconductors, or as a new tool to monitor the existence of Berry curvature in topological materials and superlattice effects in twisted 2D materials.