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Mid-infrared photonics is the practical application of electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength between two and approximately twenty micrometres. This region includes a number of so-called water windows: wavelengths of light that can propagate through the Earth’s atmosphere without being absorbed by water molecules. It is also highly relevant in spectroscopy.
Multi-dimensional detection of optical information with a single device enables energy- and area-efficient sensing capabilities. Here, the authors report dual-band infrared detectors based on misaligned 2D black phosphorus and black arsenic phosphorus, sensitive to light intensity, spectrum and polarization.
Topological traps and guides for polaritons expand the potential for light-matter wave manipulation in ultrathin materials, facilitating photonic on-chip integration. Here the authors demonstrate a chiral-defect cavity in a planar metasurface that efficiently trap mid-IR phonon-polaritons in topological defects.
In-sensor computing architectures can provide energy-efficient multifunctional capabilities, but their application to the mid-infrared range is challenging. Here, the authors report the realization of non-volatile MoS2/black phosphorus photovoltaic detectors, integrating near- to mid-infrared photodetection, memory and computing functionalities.
Structured vortex light with orbital angular momentum (OAM) holds promise for various optical applications, but its on-chip electrical detection remains challenging. Here, the authors report the realization of photothermoelectric OAM detectors based on 2D PdSe2 and spin-Hall surface plasmonic polariton couplers.
The performance of infrared photodiodes designed with narrow-bandgap semiconductors is limited by inherent noise and the need for a low-temperature operation to mitigate it, while they also face a speed–efficiency trade-off.
The near-field chirality of a single-symmetry achiral object enables polarization-dependent unidirectional photocurrent generation, and the vectorial output paves a way for a new family of geometric photodetectors.
