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Mirrors made of a single atomic layer

Researchers have demonstrated that atomically thin materials can be highly reflective, contrary to general thinking. This finding could have technological implications for nanophotonics, optoelectronics and quantum optics.
  1. Kin Fai Mak

    1. Kin Fai Mak is in the Laboratory of Atomic and Solid State Physics and the School of Applied and Engineering Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA.

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  2. Jie Shan

    1. Jie Shan is in the Laboratory of Atomic and Solid State Physics and the School of Applied and Engineering Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA.

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The discovery of a single layer of carbon atoms, known as graphene1, led to great interest in 2D materials. Whereas graphene is highly transparent to visible light2, 2D materials that are highly reflective could be used as lightweight mirrors in optical or optoelectronic systems. The existence of such materials has been questioned, but, writing in Physical Review Letters, Back et al.3 and Scuri et al.4 report that single layers of molybdenum diselenide can have high levels of reflectance.

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Nature 556, 177-178 (2018)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-018-04089-1

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