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Ultrathin quantum light source with van der Waals NbOCl2 crystal

Author

Listed:
  • Qiangbing Guo

    (National University of Singapore
    National University of Singapore
    National University of Singapore)

  • Xiao-Zhuo Qi

    (University of Science and Technology of China
    University of Science and Technology of China)

  • Lishu Zhang

    (National University of Singapore)

  • Meng Gao

    (University of Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Sanlue Hu

    (Huazhong University of Science and Technology)

  • Wenju Zhou

    (Center for High Pressure Science and Technology Advanced Research)

  • Wenjie Zang

    (National University of Singapore)

  • Xiaoxu Zhao

    (Peking University)

  • Junyong Wang

    (National University of Singapore
    National University of Singapore)

  • Bingmin Yan

    (Center for High Pressure Science and Technology Advanced Research)

  • Mingquan Xu

    (University of Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Yun-Kun Wu

    (University of Science and Technology of China
    University of Science and Technology of China)

  • Goki Eda

    (National University of Singapore
    National University of Singapore)

  • Zewen Xiao

    (Huazhong University of Science and Technology)

  • Shengyuan A. Yang

    (Singapore University of Technology and Design)

  • Huiyang Gou

    (Center for High Pressure Science and Technology Advanced Research)

  • Yuan Ping Feng

    (National University of Singapore
    National University of Singapore)

  • Guang-Can Guo

    (University of Science and Technology of China
    University of Science and Technology of China
    University of Science and Technology of China)

  • Wu Zhou

    (University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Xi-Feng Ren

    (University of Science and Technology of China
    University of Science and Technology of China
    University of Science and Technology of China)

  • Cheng-Wei Qiu

    (National University of Singapore
    National University of Singapore)

  • Stephen J. Pennycook

    (National University of Singapore
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Andrew T. S. Wee

    (National University of Singapore
    National University of Singapore)

Abstract

Interlayer electronic coupling in two-dimensional materials enables tunable and emergent properties by stacking engineering. However, it also results in significant evolution of electronic structures and attenuation of excitonic effects in two-dimensional semiconductors as exemplified by quickly degrading excitonic photoluminescence and optical nonlinearities in transition metal dichalcogenides when monolayers are stacked into van der Waals structures. Here we report a van der Waals crystal, niobium oxide dichloride (NbOCl2), featuring vanishing interlayer electronic coupling and monolayer-like excitonic behaviour in the bulk form, along with a scalable second-harmonic generation intensity of up to three orders higher than that in monolayer WS2. Notably, the strong second-order nonlinearity enables correlated parametric photon pair generation, through a spontaneous parametric down-conversion (SPDC) process, in flakes as thin as about 46 nm. To our knowledge, this is the first SPDC source unambiguously demonstrated in two-dimensional layered materials, and the thinnest SPDC source ever reported. Our work opens an avenue towards developing van der Waals material-based ultracompact on-chip SPDC sources as well as high-performance photon modulators in both classical and quantum optical technologies1–4.

Suggested Citation

  • Qiangbing Guo & Xiao-Zhuo Qi & Lishu Zhang & Meng Gao & Sanlue Hu & Wenju Zhou & Wenjie Zang & Xiaoxu Zhao & Junyong Wang & Bingmin Yan & Mingquan Xu & Yun-Kun Wu & Goki Eda & Zewen Xiao & Shengyuan A, 2023. "Ultrathin quantum light source with van der Waals NbOCl2 crystal," Nature, Nature, vol. 613(7942), pages 53-59, January.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:613:y:2023:i:7942:d:10.1038_s41586-022-05393-7
    DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05393-7
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Jin-Tao Pan & Bo-Han Zhu & Ling-Ling Ma & Wei Chen & Guang-Yang Zhang & Jie Tang & Yuan Liu & Yang Wei & Chao Zhang & Zhi-Han Zhu & Wen-Guo Zhu & Guixin Li & Yan-Qing Lu & Noel A. Clark, 2024. "Nonlinear geometric phase coded ferroelectric nematic fluids for nonlinear soft-matter photonics," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-10, December.
    2. Sixu Wang & Wei Li & Chenguang Deng & Zijian Hong & Han-Bin Gao & Xiaolong Li & Yueliang Gu & Qiang Zheng & Yongjun Wu & Paul G. Evans & Jing-Feng Li & Ce-Wen Nan & Qian Li, 2024. "Giant electric field-induced second harmonic generation in polar skyrmions," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-10, December.
    3. Shu Hu & Junyang Huang & Rakesh Arul & Ana Sánchez-Iglesias & Yuling Xiong & Luis M. Liz-Marzán & Jeremy J. Baumberg, 2024. "Robust consistent single quantum dot strong coupling in plasmonic nanocavities," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-8, December.
    4. Liangting Ye & Wenju Zhou & Dajian Huang & Xiao Jiang & Qiangbing Guo & Xinyu Cao & Shaohua Yan & Xinyu Wang & Donghan Jia & Dequan Jiang & Yonggang Wang & Xiaoqiang Wu & Xiao Zhang & Yang Li & Hechan, 2023. "Manipulation of nonlinear optical responses in layered ferroelectric niobium oxide dihalides," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-10, December.
    5. Maximilian A. Weissflog & Anna Fedotova & Yilin Tang & Elkin A. Santos & Benjamin Laudert & Saniya Shinde & Fatemeh Abtahi & Mina Afsharnia & Inmaculada Pérez Pérez & Sebastian Ritter & Hao Qin & Jiri, 2024. "A tunable transition metal dichalcogenide entangled photon-pair source," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-10, December.

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