2D semiconductors as integrated light sources for plasmonic waveguides

TL;DR

This paper explores integrating 2D transition metal dichalcogenides with plasmonic waveguides to develop universal on-chip light sources for various photonic integrated circuit platforms.

Contribution

It demonstrates the integration of exfoliated monolayer TMDC flakes with plasmonic components to inject photoluminescence into waveguides, advancing on-chip light source development.

Findings

Successful integration of TMDC flakes with plasmonic waveguides

Efficient injection of photoluminescence into plasmonic structures

Progress towards universal on-chip light sources

Abstract

2D materials are compatible with many material platforms as they adhere to other materials strictly by van der Waals interactions. This, together with the variety of band gaps found among transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs), makes them uniquely interesting to study for on-chip light sources, as the photonic integrated circuit (PIC) industry is developing into several material platforms depending on the application (gold, silicon, silicon nitride, indium phosphide, etc). 2D materials could thus potentially provide a universal on-chip light source (and detector) scheme for all PIC platforms in the future. Here we show recent results on how exfoliated monolayer TMDC flakes can be integrated with plasmonic slot-waveguides and plasmonic dipole antenna couplers to inject their photoluminescence into plasmonic waveguides as a first step towards future on-chip light sources for such systems.