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Band structure engineered layered metals for low-loss plasmonics.
Morten N Gjerding1,2, Mohnish Pandey1, Kristian S Thygesen1,2
1Center for Atomic-scale Materials Design (CAMD), Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, Anker Engelundsvej 1, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark.
Nature Communications
|April 25, 2017
Summary
Researchers discovered that specific layered metals, like tantalum disulfide (TaS2), significantly reduce optical losses due to their unique electronic band structure. This finding enables the development of new materials for advanced plasmonic devices with improved performance.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Plasmonics applications are hindered by significant optical losses in metallic components.
- Ohmic losses in metals are a major challenge for device implementation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the reduction of optical losses in specific layered metals.
- To propose a new class of van der Waals layered metals with suppressed intrinsic losses.
- To demonstrate the potential of these materials for improved plasmonic device performance.
Main Methods:
- Utilized first-principles calculations to analyze electronic band structures.
- Investigated the density of states for scattering in near-infrared frequencies.
- Examined the impact of reduced optical losses on thin-film waveguiding and transformation optics.
Main Results:
- Identified that certain layered metals, such as tantalum disulfide (TaS2), exhibit reduced Ohmic losses.
- Attributed loss reduction to an exceptionally small density of states for scattering in the near-infrared, stemming from their unique band structure.
- Proposed band structure engineered van der Waals layered metals with greatly suppressed intrinsic losses.
Conclusions:
- The proposed van der Waals layered metals offer a promising avenue for overcoming optical loss limitations in plasmonics.
- Suppression of optical losses leads to enhanced performance in applications like thin-film waveguiding and transformation optics.
