Nanoengineered Optoexcitonic Switch

The efficiency of most electronic devices is limited by scattering and capacitive losses among purely electronic processes. Charge-neutral excitons could reduce both losses and, thus, offer more efficient switching pathways. However, it remains challenging to achieve exciton transport that is fast, guided, and unidirectional enough for gating processes. We have overcome these obstacles by photonically nanoengineering exciton-photon coupling in a two-dimensional monolayer to create a strong opto-excitonic force capable of driving rapid and long-distance exciton drift transport under ambient conditions. Implementing this strategy, we have demonstrated an optoexcitonic switch along a one-dimensional (1D) exciton guide, with gating performance already rivaling that of state-of-the-art electronic switches. Our work establishes the basis for room-temperature implementation of opto-excitonic circuits.