Single-Nanoparticle Plasmonic Electro-optic Modulator Based on MoS₂ Monolayers

The manipulation of light in an integrated circuit is crucial for the development of high-speed electro-optic devices. Recently, molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) monolayers generated broad interest for the optoelectronics because of their huge exciton binding energy, tunable optical emission, direct electronic band-gap structure, etc. Miniaturization and multifunctionality of electro-optic devices further require the manipulation of light-matter interaction at the single-nanoparticle level. The strong exciton-plasmon interaction that is generated between the MoS₂ monolayers and metallic nanostructures may be a possible solution for compact electro-optic devices at the nanoscale. Here, we demonstrate a nanoplasmonic modulator in the visible spectral region by combining the MoS₂ monolayers with a single Au nanodisk. The narrow MoS₂ excitons coupled with broad Au plasmons result in a deep Fano resonance, which can be switched on and off by applying different gate voltages on the MoS₂ monolayers. A reversible display device that is based on this single-nanoparticle modulator is demonstrated with a heptamer pattern that is actively controlled by the external gates. Our work provides a potential application for electro-optic modulation on the nanoscale and promotes the development of gate-tunable nanoplasmonic devices in the future.