Recent Progress of 2D Materials-Based Photodetectors from UV to THz Waves: Principles, Materials, and Applications.

Photodetectors are one of the most critical components for future optoelectronic systems and it undergoes significant advancements to meet the growing demands of diverse applications spanning the spectrum from ultraviolet (UV) to terahertz (THz). 2D materials are very attractive for photodetector applications because of their distinct optical and electrical properties. The atomic-thin structure, high carrier mobility, low van der Waals (vdWs) interaction between layers, relatively narrower bandgap engineered through engineering, and significant absorption coefficient significantly benefit the chip-scale production and integration of 2D materials-based photodetectors.

Recent advances in two-dimensional perovskite materials for light-emitting diodes.

Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are an indispensable part of our daily life. After being studied for a few decades, this field still has some room for improvement. In this regard, perovskite materials may take the leading role.

Exploring Si-centered phthalocyanine as a single atom catalyst for NO reduction: a DFT study.

To remove the greenhouse gas NO from the environment, recently, researchers have taken great interest in single-atom catalysts (SACs). In this study, we investigated various reaction pathways and barrier energies for the NO reduction process onto Si-coordinated phthalocyanine (Si@PthC) employing density functional theory. The outcomes validate that Si decoration in PthC is energetically stable while the corresponding electronic properties show that the Si atom acts as the reactive site for catalytic activity.

Twisted Bands with Degenerate Points of Photonic Hypercrystals in Infrared Region.

Photonic hypercrystals (PHCs) are materials combining hyperbolic metamaterials (HMMs) with widely used photonic crystals. We found that finite-sized Type-I HMMs can support unique electromagnetic modes, which could be utilized in two-dimensional photonic crystals to achieve PHCs with twisted bands in the infrared region. Numerical investigation of the PHCs showed that the twisted bands have degenerate points that can support all-angle self-collimation effects.

Enhancement of Self-Collimation Effect in Photonic Crystal Membranes Using Hyperbolic Metamaterials.

Hyperbolic metamaterials (HMMs) exhibit high tunability in photonic devices. This study numerically investigates light propagation in photonic crystal (PhC) membranes containing HMMs. The proposed HMM PhC membranes contain square HMM rods, which comprise dielectric (Si) and metallic (Ag) layers.

High-Quality Graphene-Based Tunable Absorber Based on Double-Side Coupled-Cavity Effect.

Graphene-based devices have important applications attributed to their superior performance and flexible tunability in practice. In this paper, a new kind of absorber with monolayer graphene sandwiched between two layers of dielectric rings is proposed. Two peaks with almost complete absorption are realized.

Numerical Investigation of Graphene and STO Based Tunable Terahertz Absorber with Switchable Bifunctionality of Broadband and Narrowband Absorption.

A graphene metamaterial and strontium titanate (STO)-based terahertz absorber with tunable and switchable bifunctionality has been numerically investigated in this work. Through electrically tuning the Fermi energy level of the cross-shaped graphene, the bandwidth of the proposed absorber varies continuously from 0.12 THz to 0.

One-Dimensional Topological Photonic Crystal Mirror Heterostructure for Sensing.

A paradigm for high-quality factor (Q) with a substantial fulfillment for appraising sensing ability and performance has been investigated. Through constructing a 1D (one-dimensional) topological photonic crystal (PhC) mirror heterostructure, which is formed by the image view of 1D topological PhC stacking with its original one. In the 1D topological PhC-mirror heterostructure, there is an interesting mode that appeared with the symmetric, typical Lorentzian-line shape with 100% transmittance in the topological mirror edge-state mode (hybrid resonance mode) at the heterostructure interface.

Elongated-Hexagonal Photonic Crystal for Buffering, Sensing, and Modulation.

A paradigm for high buffering performance with an essential fulfillment for sensing and modulation was set forth. Through substituting the fundamental two rows of air holes in an elongated hexagonal photonic crystal (E-PhC) by one row of the triangular gaps, the EPCW is molded to form an irregular waveguide. By properly adjusting the triangle dimension solitary, we fulfilled the lowest favorable value of the physical-size of each stored bit by about μ5.

Polarization-Independent Circulator Based on Composite Rod of Ferrite and Plasma in Photonic Crystal Structure.

We propose a type of polarization-independent circulator based on a composite rod of ferrite and plasma materials in a two-dimensional photonic crystal (PhC) slab. Only one composite rod was set at the center of the structure to provide circulation for both TE- and TM-polarized waves. Additionally, to improve the performance of the circulator, three additional rods were inserted to improve the coupling condition between the center magneto-optical microcavity and the corresponding waveguides.

High Figure of Merit Optical Buffering in Coupled-Slot Slab Photonic Crystal Waveguide with Ionic Liquid.

Slow light with adequate low group velocity and wide bandwidth with a flat band of the zero-dispersion area were investigated. High buffering capabilities were obtained in a silicon-polymer coupled-slot slab photonic crystal waveguide (SP-CS-SPCW) with infiltrating slots by ionic liquid. A figure of merit (FoM) around 0.

Facile Synthesis of Mayenite Electride Nanoparticles Encapsulated in Graphitic Shells Like Carbon Nano Onions: Non-noble-metal Electrocatalysts for Oxygen Reduction Reaction (ORR).

This manuscript presented a large scale synthesis of Graphitic Shells like carbon nano onions (GS-CNOs) by direct solution method using mayenite electride as a catalyst for synthesis of CNOs. Thermal characterization, microstructural analysis, and high resolution electron microscopy have confirmed the graphitization and revealed the resulting GS-CNOs with particle size about 15 nm, maximum BET surface area of 214 m.g, and moderate conductivity of 250 S.

Recent advances in two-dimensional-material-based sensing technology toward health and environmental monitoring applications.

Monitoring harmful and toxic chemicals, gases, microorganisms, and radiation has been a challenge to the scientific community for the betterment of human health and environment. Two-dimensional (2D)-material-based sensors are highly efficient and compatible with modern fabrication technology, which yield data that can be proficiently used for health and environmental monitoring. Graphene and its oxides, black phosphorus (BP), transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs), metal oxides, and other 2D nanomaterials have demonstrated properties that have been alluring for the manufacture of highly sensitive sensors due to their unique material properties arising from their inherent structures.

Densely Distributed Multiple Resonance Modes in a Fan-Shaped Plasmonic Nanostructure Demonstrated by FEM Simulations.

Multiple resonance modes have important applications since they can provide multi-frequency operation for devices and bring great flexibility in practice. In this paper, based on a fan-shaped cavity coupled to a metal-isolator-metal (MIM) waveguide, a new kind of ultracompact plasmonic nanostructure is proposed to realize multiple resonance modes with dense distribution in a broad spectral range, and demonstrated through finite-element method (FEM) simulations. As many as ten resonance modes with an average interval of about 30 nm are obtained.

Linearly Tunable Fano Resonance Modes in a Plasmonic Nanostructure with a Waveguide Loaded with Two Rectangular Cavities Coupled by a Circular Cavity.

Linear tunability has important applications since it can be realized by using linear control voltage and can be used conveniently without requiring nonlinear scale. In this paper, a kind of plasmonic nanostructure with a waveguide loaded with two rectangular cavities coupled by a circular cavity is proposed to produce four Fano resonance modes. The transfer matrix theory is employed to analyze the coupled-waveguide-cavity system.

Single step synthesis of highly conductive room-temperature stable cation-substituted mayenite electride target and thin film.

Novel approaches to synthesize efficient inorganic electride [CaAlO](e) (thereafter, C12A7:e) at ambient pressure under nitrogen atmosphere, are actively sought out to reduce the cost of massive formation of nanosized powder as well as compact large size target production. It led to a new era in low cost industrial applications of this abundant material as Transparent Conducting Oxides (TCOs) and as a catalyst. Therefore, the present study about C12A7:e electride is directed towards challenges of cation doping in C12A7:e to enhance the conductivity and form target to deposit thin film.

Plasmonic Metasurface Absorber Based on Electro-Optic Substrate for Energy Harvesting.

A highly efficient and broad light absorber capable of wide-angle absorption in the visible and near infrared range is presented and numerically investigated for energy harvesting in a simple geometry. According to the calculated results, the proposed device has a peak absorption level of about 99.95%.

Independently Tunable Fano Resonances Based on the Coupled Hetero-Cavities in a Plasmonic MIM System.

In this paper, based on coupled hetero-cavities, multiple Fano resonances are produced and tuned in a plasmonic metal-insulator-metal (MIM) system. The structure comprises a rectangular cavity, a side-coupled waveguide, and an upper-coupled circular cavity with a metal-strip core, used to modulate Fano resonances. Three Fano resonances can be realized, which originate from interference of the cavity modes between the rectangular cavity and the metal-strip-core circular cavity.

Tunable Nanosensor Based on Fano Resonances Created by Changing the Deviation Angle of the Metal Core in a Plasmonic Cavity.

In this paper, a type of tunable plasmonic refractive index nanosensor based on Fano resonance is proposed and investigated. The sensor comprises a metal-insulator-metal (MIM) nanocavity with a center-deviated metal core and two side-coupled waveguides. By carefully adjusting the deviation angle and distance of the metal core in the cavity, Fano resonances can be obtained and modulated.

Facile synthesis of a cationic-doped [CaAlO](4e) composite via a rapid citrate sol-gel method.

One of the greatest challenges in the enhancement of the electrical properties of conductive mayenite [CaAlO](4e) (hereinafter C12A7:e) is the design of a more suitable/simple synthesis strategy that can be employed to obtain the required properties such as excellent stable electrical conductivity, a high electron concentration, outstanding mobility, and an exceptionally large surface area. Therefore, to synthesize C12A7:e in the metallic state, we proposed a facile, direct synthesis strategy based on an optimized sol-gel combustion method under a nitrogen gas environment using the low-cost precursors Ca(NO)·4HO and Al(NO)·9HO. Using this developed strategy, we successfully synthesized moderately conductive nanoscale C12A7:e powder, but with unexpected carbon components (reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and/or graphene oxide (GO)).

Plasmonic waveguide design for the enhanced forward stimulated brillouin scattering in diamond.

We propose a scheme of metal/dielectric/metal waveguide for the enhanced forward stimulated Brillouin scattering (FSBS) in diamond that is mediated by gap surface plasmons. Numerical results based on finite-element method show that the maximum Brillouin gain in the small gap (~100 nm) can exceed 10 W m, which is three orders of magnitude higher than that in diamond-only waveguides. It is found that the radiation pressure that exists at the boundaries of metal and diamond plays a dominant role in contributing to the enhanced forward stimulated Brillouin gain, although electrostrictive forces interfere destructively.

Plasmonic Spectral Splitting in Ring/Rod Metasurface.

We report spectral splitting behaviors based on Fano resonances in a novel simple planar metasurface composed of gold nanobars and nanorings. Multiple plasmonic modes and sharp Fano effects are achieved in a broadband transmittance spectrum by exploiting the rotational symmetry of the metasurface. The transmission properties are effectively modified and tuned by modulating the structural parameters.

Compact and low-power optical logic NOT gate based on photonic crystal waveguides without optical amplifiers and nonlinear materials.

An optical logic NOT gate (OLNG) is presented based on photonic crystal (PhC) waveguides without nonlinear materials and optical amplifiers. Also, a way of determining the operating parameters is presented. It is demonstrated through finite-difference time-domain simulations that the structure presented can operate as an OLNG.