Enhancement of Broadband Reverse Saturable Absorption of Red/Black Phosphorus Heterojunction

Although laser technology brings convenience to production and daily life, it also causes high-energy damage. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop optical limiting materials for laser protection. In this study, a novel nonlinear optical material, red/black phosphorus lateral heterojunction, is successfully prepared through solvothermal and ultrasonic treatment. Using the Z-scan method, the nonlinear optical properties of the red/black phosphorus heterojunction are determined at wavelengths of 532 and 1064 nm. These results indicate that the red/black phosphorus heterojunction exhibits reverse saturable absorption properties in 1.2.3-glycerol. Interestingly, the red/black phosphorus heterojunction shows an enhanced performance over red phosphorus by introducing the black phosphorus phase. Moreover, the red/black phosphorus heterojunction is doped into organically modified silicate gel glass with excellent broadband optical limiting performance. This study highlights the promising prospect of the red/black phosphorus heterojunction in the nonlinear optical and optical limiting fields.