Nanoscale materials articles within Nature Photonics

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• News & Views | 24 April 2024

  Reviving holographic photonic integration

  Holographic waveguides using shallow etching of silicon-on-insulator waveguides makes designing integrated, preset optical vector matrix multiplication computationally tractable and commercially available.

  • Daniel Brunner

• News & Views | 06 March 2024

  On-chip coherent terahertz emitters with gigahertz modulation

  The frequency of coherent terahertz waves radiated from a single superconducting emitter can be electronically modulated on a chip with up to 40 GHz bandwidth, paving the way for high-data-rate and ultrafast terahertz wireless communications.

  • Kaveh Delfanazari

• Article
  23 February 2024 | Open Access

  Direct linearly polarized electroluminescence from perovskite nanoplatelet superlattices

  Self-assembled perovskite nanoplatelets emit linearly polarized light, enabling the realization of red perovskite light-emitting diodes with a 74.4% degree of linear polarization.

  • Junzhi Ye
  • , Aobo Ren
  •  & Robert L. Z. Hoye

• Article | 16 February 2024

  In vivo ultrasound-induced luminescence molecular imaging

  Ultrasound-induced luminescence enables in vivo molecular imaging of tumours and lymph nodes with spatial resolution of 1.46 mm.

  • Youjuan Wang
  • , Zhigao Yi
  •  & Weihong Tan

• Article | 16 February 2024

  Inverse-designed low-index-contrast structures on a silicon photonics platform for vector–matrix multiplication

  Using inverse design, a 3D silicon photonics platform that can be used for the mathematical operation of vector–matrix multiplication with light is demonstrated, potentially enabling large-scale wave-based analogue computing.

  • Vahid Nikkhah
  • , Ali Pirmoradi
  •  & Nader Engheta

• Article | 14 February 2024

  Size-dependent lanthanide energy transfer amplifies upconversion luminescence quantum yields

  Researchers demonstrate a size-dependent lanthanide energy transfer effect in upconversion nanoparticles with depleted surface quenching, resulting in upconversion quantum yields of 13.0 ± 1.3%.

  • Feng Li
  • , Langping Tu
  •  & Guanying Chen

• Article | 29 January 2024

  Efficient tin-based perovskite solar cells with trans-isomeric fulleropyrrolidine additives

  Two precursor additives improve the performance of tin-based perovskite solar cells, delivering a power conversion efficiency of 15.38% and maintaining 93% of the initial efficiency after 500 h of continuous illumination.

  • Jingfu Chen
  • , Jiefeng Luo
  •  & Zhanhua Wei

• Article
  11 January 2024 | Open Access

  Luminescent solar concentrator efficiency enhanced via nearly lossless propagation pathways

  Luminescence solar concentrators are improved by using a laminated structure that creates a practically non-decaying optical ‘guard rail’ for light. Design rules enabled external quantum efficiencies as high as 45% for 450 nm light, yielding a device efficiency of 7.6%, probably useful for energy-harvesting windows.

  • Kyoungwon Park
  • , Jeongmin Yi
  •  & Chul Jong Han

• Article | 09 January 2024

  Switchable interfacial reaction enables bright and stable deep-red perovskite light-emitting diodes

  A switchable deprotonation reaction at the interface between the perovskite and electron-transporting layer enables bright deep-red perovskite LEDs emitting at 691 nm with a half-lifetime of about 50.3 h at 100 mA cm^–2.

  • Jiejun Zeng
  • , Xiaoyue Sun
  •  & Yizheng Jin

• Article | 03 January 2024

  Dipole–dipole-interaction-assisted self-assembly of quantum dots for highly efficient light-emitting diodes

  Dipole–dipole interactions in mixed-phase CdZnSeS quantum dots enable the effective orientation of the quantum dots and improved photon out-coupling when employed in a light emitting diode.

  • Huaiyu Xu
  • , Jiaojiao Song
  •  & Fengjia Fan

• Article | 03 January 2024

  Silver telluride colloidal quantum dot infrared photodetectors and image sensors

  Silver telluride quantum dots are employed in shortwave-infrared photodetectors and in monolithically integrated imagers that are free from toxic heavy metals and fully solution processable.

  • Yongjie Wang
  • , Lucheng Peng
  •  & Gerasimos Konstantatos

• Article | 02 November 2023

  Three-dimensional nonlinear optical materials from twisted two-dimensional van der Waals interfaces

  Three-dimensional nonlinear optical metamaterials are realized by directly engineering the symmetries of electronic wavefunctions at the atomic scale by stacking individual two-dimensional van der Waals interfaces into a precisely designed three-dimensional configuration.

  • Bumho Kim
  • , Jicheng Jin
  •  & Bo Zhen

• Article
  28 August 2023 | Open Access

  Single-molecule mid-infrared spectroscopy and detection through vibrationally assisted luminescence

  Detecting the vibrations of individual molecules directly in the mid-infrared regime is hindered by thermal noise. Here researchers bypass conventional detectors and upconvert the mid-infrared photons into visible light using molecular bonds, yielding an optical readout for single-molecule vibrational spectroscopy.

  • Rohit Chikkaraddy
  • , Rakesh Arul
  •  & Jeremy J. Baumberg

• Article | 10 August 2023

  Mid-infrared cascade intraband electroluminescence with HgSe–CdSe core–shell colloidal quantum dots

  Intraband electroluminescence (EL) from n-doped core–shell HgSe–CdSe colloidal quantum dots is observed around the wavelength of 5 µm. The measured EL quantum efficiency is 4.5% at the injection current of 2 A cm⁻², benefiting from the cascade effect. The power efficiency is 0.05%.

  • Xingyu Shen
  • , Ananth Kamath
  •  & Philippe Guyot-Sionnest

• Article | 07 August 2023

  Dynamic monitoring of oscillatory enzyme activity of individual live bacteria via nanoplasmonic optical antennas

  Nanoplasmonic antennas enable label-free monitoring of bacterial enzymes released via outer membrane vesicles. Real-time monitoring reveals the oscillatory behaviour of enzymatic release from individual bacteria as well as the effects of coupled oscillation from neighbouring bacteria.

  • Dengyun Lu
  • , Guoshuai Zhu
  •  & Hongbao Xin

• Article | 22 June 2023

  Hong–Ou–Mandel interference in colloidal CsPbBr₃ perovskite nanocrystals

  Large perovskite nanocrystals are synthesized to increase the cryogenic exciton radiative rate. At liquid helium temperatures, single photons from perovskite nanocrystals coalesce at a beam splitter, signalling the existence of indistinguishable photon emission.

  • Alexander E. K. Kaplan
  • , Chantalle J. Krajewska
  •  & Moungi G. Bawendi

• Article
  18 May 2023 | Open Access

  Efficient radioactive gas detection by scintillating porous metal–organic frameworks

  Detection of gas radionuclides is limited in sensitivity with present methods, but may be useful in energy, security, medical and other sectors. In this work, gas-concentrating porous scintillating metal–organic frameworks are demonstrated for gas radionuclide detection.

  • Matteo Orfano
  • , Jacopo Perego
  •  & Angelo Monguzzi

• News & Views | 24 April 2023

  A shrimp solves a scattering problem

  Multiple scattering from birefringent nanospheres confers brilliant whiteness to parts of the Pacific cleaner shrimp, inspiring new ways to achieve broadband reflection with thin layers of material.

  • Diederik S. Wiersma

• Article | 20 April 2023

  Short pulse generation from a graphene-coupled passively mode-locked terahertz laser

  A passively mode-locked quantum cascade laser (QCL) is developed by employing a heterogeneous gain medium and integrating graphene saturable absorbers along the entire QCL waveguide. Self-starting optical pulses of 4.0 ps are electrically generated in the 2.30–3.55 THz frequency range.

  • Elisa Riccardi
  • , Valentino Pistore
  •  & Miriam S. Vitiello

• Article
  20 April 2023 | Open Access

  Electrical control of hybrid exciton transport in a van der Waals heterostructure

  The dipole-dependent propagation of hybrid excitons in a van der Waals heterostructure containing a WSe₂ bilayer is characterized by modulating the layer hybridization and interplay between many-body interactions of excitons with an applied vertical electric field.

  • Fedele Tagarelli
  • , Edoardo Lopriore
  •  & Andras Kis

• Article | 06 February 2023

  Near-infrared photon upconversion and solar synthesis using lead-free nanocrystals

  Researchers use zinc-doped CuInSe₂ nanocrystals as an alternative to lead chalcogenides for near-infrared upconversion. Upconversion to yellow with an external quantum efficiency reaching 16.7% is achieved, which can also be merged with photoredox catalysis for rapid solar synthesis.

  • Wenfei Liang
  • , Chengming Nie
  •  & Kaifeng Wu

• Review Article | 22 December 2022

  Enabling smart vision with metasurfaces

  Robotic and other devices often demand ever more compact and sophisticated sensors. This Review assesses the opportunities for metasurfaces to provide optical functionality solutions for such applications.

  • Dragomir N. Neshev
  •  & Andrey E. Miroshnichenko

• Article | 15 December 2022

  Brilliant femtosecond-laser-driven hard X-ray flashes from carbon nanotube plasma

  Compact laser-wakefield-driven X-ray sources show promise but suffer from poor conversion efficiency. New research demonstrates high-yield, hard X-rays generated by using carbon nanotube targets, instead of gases.

  • Yinren Shou
  • , Pengjie Wang
  •  & Wenjun Ma

• Article | 28 November 2022

  Extreme γ-ray radiation hardness and high scintillation yield in perovskite nanocrystals

  It is shown that CsPbBr₃ nanocrystals exhibit good radiation hardness for high γ-radiation doses, as high as 1 MGy. Electron trapping in surface defects limits scintillator applications, but is shown to be suppressed by surface fluorination treatment.

  • Matteo L. Zaffalon
  • , Francesca Cova
  •  & Sergio Brovelli

• Article
  24 October 2022 | Open Access

  Integrated photodetectors for compact Fourier-transform waveguide spectrometers

  A Fourier-transform waveguide spectrometer is demonstrated by using HgTe-quantum-dot-based photoconductors with a spectral response up to a wavelength of 2 μm. The spectral resolution is 50 cm^–1. The total active spectrometer volume is below 100 μm × 100 μm × 100 μm.

  • Matthias J. Grotevent
  • , Sergii Yakunin
  •  & Ivan Shorubalko

• Article | 17 October 2022

  Excitonic resonances control the temporal dynamics of nonlinear optical wave mixing in monolayer semiconductors

  Researchers show that resonant coupling of light pulses with excitonic transitions affects the optimal time difference between pulses for sum-frequency generation and four-wave mixing in monolayer WSe₂.

  • Jonas M. Bauer
  • , Lijue Chen
  •  & Kai-Qiang Lin

• Article | 13 October 2022

  Light-sheet 3D microprinting via two-colour two-step absorption

  High-speed, high-resolution optics-based printing typically requires femtosecond pulsed lasers. We demonstrate optical printing using indigo-blue laser diodes and a red continuous-wave laser, achieving a peak printing rate of 7 × 10⁶ voxels s^–1 at a voxel volume of 0.55 µm³.

  • Vincent Hahn
  • , Pascal Rietz
  •  & Martin Wegener

• Article | 29 September 2022

  Bright short-wavelength infrared organic light-emitting devices

  Organic LEDs based on acceptor–donor–acceptor molecules Y11, IDSe-4Cl and COTIC-4F are shown to be highly effective emitters of short-wave infrared light.

  • Yuan Xie
  • , Wansheng Liu
  •  & Yong Cao

• Article | 29 August 2022

  Room-temperature upconverted superfluorescence

  Under near-infrared-light excitation, anti-Stokes-shift superfluorescence is observed near 590 nm at room temperature in a medium of lanthanide-doped upconversion nanoparticles. The spectral width and radiative decay lifetime are 2 nm and 46 ns, respectively, in the single-nanoparticle case.

  • Kai Huang
  • , Kory Kevin Green
  •  & Shuang Fang Lim

• Article | 25 August 2022

  Ultrafast intrinsic optical-to-electrical conversion dynamics in a graphene photodetector

  Researchers demonstrated a gate-tunable graphene photodetector with a bandwidth of up to 220 GHz. This was achieved by suppressing the ‘RC’ time constant using a resistive zinc oxide top gate.

  • Katsumasa Yoshioka
  • , Taro Wakamura
  •  & Norio Kumada

• News & Views | 14 July 2022

  Giant nonlinearity in upconversion nanoparticles

  Co-doping ytterbium and praseodymium ions in photon avalanche nanoparticles rapidly builds up huge optical nonlinearities, enabling confocal microscopy to achieve super-resolution imaging at high speed.

  • Chaohao Chen
  •  & Dayong Jin

• Letter | 07 July 2022

  Giant effective Zeeman splitting in a monolayer semiconductor realized by spin-selective strong light–matter coupling

  Researchers show spin-susceptibility in monolayer MoSe₂ and demonstrate giant effective valley Zeeman splitting and nonlinearity for trion-polaritons.

  • T. P. Lyons
  • , D. J. Gillard
  •  & A. I. Tartakovskii

• Letter | 20 June 2022

  Asymmetric parametric generation of images with nonlinear dielectric metasurfaces

  Asymmetric parametric generation of light in nonlinear metasurfaces is enabled by nonlinear dielectric resonators in translucent metasurfaces. Upon infrared illumination, different and independent visible light images are detected for ‘forwards’ versus ‘backwards’ operation.

  • Sergey S. Kruk
  • , Lei Wang
  •  & Yuri Kivshar

• Article | 26 May 2022

  Spontaneous-polarization-induced photovoltaic effect in rhombohedrally stacked MoS₂

  It is shown that rhombohedral stacked MoS₂ can enable scalable photovoltaic effects induced by spontaneous polarization throughout few-micrometre-sized exfoliated flakes. This is exploited in a graphene–MoS₂-based photovoltaic device.

  • Dongyang Yang
  • , Jingda Wu
  •  & Ziliang Ye

• Letter | 26 May 2022

  Multiple exciton generation in tin–lead halide perovskite nanocrystals for photocurrent quantum efficiency enhancement

  Researchers demonstrate low-threshold multiple exciton generation and photocurrent quantum efficiency exceeding 100% from high-energy photons in perovskite nanocrystals.

  • Yifan Chen
  • , Jun Yin
  •  & Mingjie Li

• Article | 02 May 2022

  High-efficiency photoemission from magnetically doped quantum dots driven by multi-step spin-exchange Auger ionization

  Researchers show that up-conversion in manganese-doped CdSe colloidal quantum dots enables efficient electron photoemission. The effect is exploited for high-yield production of solvated electrons, demonstrating photochemistry applicability.

  • Clément Livache
  • , Whi Dong Kim
  •  & Victor I. Klimov

• Article | 07 April 2022

  Quantum-size-tuned heterostructures enable efficient and stable inverted perovskite solar cells

  A scheme to control the confinement within 2D/3D perovskite heterostructures results in stable, efficient inverted perovskite solar cells.

  • Hao Chen
  • , Sam Teale
  •  & Edward H. Sargent

• Article | 31 March 2022

  Large-scale planar and spherical light-emitting diodes based on arrays of perovskite quantum wires

  The use of perovskite quantum-wire light emitters results in high-quality planar and spherical light-emitting diodes.

  • Daquan Zhang
  • , Qianpeng Zhang
  •  & Zhiyong Fan

• Article | 24 March 2022

  Cavity-enhanced linear dichroism in a van der Waals antiferromagnet

  Researchers use spin-charge coupling and FePS₃ crystals to induce large in-plane optical anisotropy and near-unity linear dichroism in the visible–near-infrared range.

  • Huiqin Zhang
  • , Zhuoliang Ni
  •  & Deep Jariwala

• Article | 28 February 2022

  Ultrahigh-resolution quantum-dot light-emitting diodes

  The demonstration of high-resolution quantum-dot light-emitting diodes by transfer printing could prove useful for next-generation displays.

  • Tingtao Meng
  • , Yueting Zheng
  •  & Lei Qian

• Article | 14 February 2022

  Cation disorder engineering yields AgBiS₂ nanocrystals with enhanced optical absorption for efficient ultrathin solar cells

  AgBiS₂ nanocrystals with enhanced optical absorption yield efficient ultrathin solar cells.

  • Yongjie Wang
  • , Seán R. Kavanagh
  •  & Gerasimos Konstantatos

• Article | 14 February 2022

  Spatiotemporally controlled room-temperature exciton transport under dynamic strain

  Researchers exploit Rayleigh waves and associated dynamic strains to control exciton transport in the weak coupling regime at room temperature. The findings may pave the way for new types of excitonic device for applications ranging from communications to energy.

  • Kanak Datta
  • , Zhengyang Lyu
  •  & Parag B. Deotare

• Article | 23 December 2021

  Excitonic transport driven by repulsive dipolar interaction in a van der Waals heterostructure

  Spatially and temporally resolved exciton diffusion experiments on a two-dimensional WSe₂/hBN/MoSe₂ heterostructure are reported, where an excitation-power-dependent exciton diffusion pattern is observed and phenomena with dipole–dipole repulsive interaction are quantitatively modelled.

  • Zhe Sun
  • , Alberto Ciarrocchi
  •  & Andras Kis

• Article | 13 December 2021

  Electroluminescence from nanocrystals above 2 µm

  Near-infrared emission at around 2 µm is observed from HgTe nanocrystals. LEDs based on this material platform could prove to be a useful low-cost, convenient light source for applications in gas sensing and other tasks.

  • Junling Qu
  • , Mateusz Weis
  •  & Emmanuel Lhuillier

• Article | 29 November 2021

  Two-step absorption instead of two-photon absorption in 3D nanoprinting

  As an alternative to high-resolution fabrication by two-photon absorption, researchers demonstrate a two-step absorption process that employs inexpensive light sources.

  • Vincent Hahn
  • , Tobias Messer
  •  & Martin Wegener

• Letter | 07 October 2021

  Solution-processed inorganic perovskite crystals as achromatic quarter-wave plates

  Perovskite crystals of Cs₄PbBr₆ embedded with CsPbBr₃ nanocrystals are shown to act as wideband, achromatic waveplates in the visible and near-infrared regions.

  • Xiaomei Chen
  • , Wen-gao Lu
  •  & Haizheng Zhong

• Letter | 28 September 2021

  Solution-processed PbS quantum dot infrared laser with room-temperature tunable emission in the optical telecommunications window

  Solution-processed infrared lasers that operate at room temperature are a challenge, but now researchers have achieved such a device using colloidal quantum dots.

  • G. L. Whitworth
  • , M. Dalmases
  •  & G. Konstantatos

• Letter | 09 September 2021

  Anomalous upconversion amplification induced by surface reconstruction in lanthanide sublattices

  Strong lanthanide-doped upconversion luminescence enhancement is achieved by the use of surface molecules which enhance four-photon upconversion emission. The results may lead to new, highly emissive, nanohybrid systems.

  • Hui Xu
  • , Sanyang Han
  •  & Xiaogang Liu

• Article | 06 September 2021

  Bright and stable light-emitting diodes made with perovskite nanocrystals stabilized in metal–organic frameworks

  The use of metal–organic frameworks helps protect perovskite nanocrystals, resulting in bright, stable light-emitting diodes.

  • Hsinhan Tsai
  • , Shreetu Shrestha
  •  & Wanyi Nie

• Article | 02 August 2021

  Slow carrier relaxation in tin-based perovskite nanocrystals

  Tin-based perovskite nanocrystals with slower than usual relaxation dynamics holds promise for superior lead-free perovskite optoelectronic devices.

  • Linjie Dai
  • , Zeyu Deng
  •  & Neil C. Greenham