Emerging Ta$_{4}$C$_{3}$ and Mo$_{2}$Ti$_{2}$C$_{3}$ MXene Nanosheets for Ultrafast Photonics

TL;DR

This study demonstrates that emerging Ta4C3 and Mo2Ti2C3 MXene nanosheets exhibit exceptional ultrafast nonlinear optical responses, surpassing other 2D materials, with promising applications in advanced photonics and optoelectronics.

Contribution

It reports the first comprehensive analysis of ultrafast NLO properties of Ta4C3 and Mo2Ti2C3 MXenes, revealing their superior third-order susceptibility and dynamic carrier relaxation behaviors.

Findings

MXenes exhibit third-order susceptibility around 10^{-13} esu.

Mo2Ti2C3 shows the strongest nonlinear response.

MXenes display saturable and reverse saturable absorption under visible and infrared light.

Abstract

Ultrafast nonlinear optical (NLO) response, fast carrier recovery, broadband absorption, and resistance to radiation and heat make 2D materials promising for photonic technologies. However, low electronic conductivity and carrier concentration limit the performance of semiconducting or semimetallic materials. This work investigates the ultrafast NLO properties and carrier dynamics of Ta$_{4}$C$_{3}$T$_{x}$ and out-of-plane ordered Mo$_{2}$Ti$_{2}$C$_{3}$T$_{x}$ MXenes using Z-scan and pump-probe optical Kerr effect techniques under visible and infrared femtosecond laser pulses. Their NLO response surpasses all previously studied MXenes and most other 2D nanomaterials, attaining exceptionally high third-order susceptibility (\c{hi}(3)) values on the order of 10^{-13} esu. Mo$_{2}$Ti$_{2}$C$_{3}$T$_{x}$ exhibits the strongest NLO response under both excitation regimes, attributed to charge transfer between Mo and Ti layers in the MXene structure. Under visible excitation, the studied MXenes display pronounced saturable absorption, while under infrared excitation, they exhibit strong reverse saturable absorption, resulting in efficient optical limiting. Additionally, pump-probe experiments identify two distinct relaxation processes: a fast one on the sub-picosecond timescale and a slower one a few picoseconds after photoexcitation. Our results indicate that these MXenes are among the strongest NLO materials. They show their great potential for advanced photonic and optoelectronic applications in laser technologies, optical protection, telecommunications, and optical/quantum computing.