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Tailoring Photonic Transport in Cluster-Assembled Crystals via Atomic-Level Coordination Engineering
Xiao Wei1,2, Tinghui Zhang3, Haoqi Li1
1Department of Chemistry and Centre for Atomic Engineering of Advanced Materials, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Chemistry for Inorganic/Organic Hybrid Functionalized Materials, Anhui University, Hefei, Anhui, China.
Angewandte Chemie (International Ed. in English)
|July 31, 2026
Summary
Atomic-level coordination engineering of metal nanoclusters allows precise control over photonic transport in optical waveguides. This breakthrough enables the design of advanced photonic materials with record-low optical loss for integrated photonics.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Photonics
Background:
- Efficient optical waveguides demand precise control over photonic transport.
- Linking atomic-level structure to device performance in photonic materials is challenging.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate atomic-level coordination engineering of metal nanoclusters for tailored photonic transport.
- To establish a quantitative structure-activity relationship (SAR) model for designing advanced photonic materials.
Main Methods:
- Synthesized Pt1Agx (x = 18-37) nanoclusters with varied peripheral structures using bidentate phosphine ligands.
- Fabricated cluster-assembled crystals and measured their optical loss coefficient.
- Correlated waveguide performance with photophysical parameters: photoluminescence quantum yield, lifetime, refractive index, and polarization degree.
Main Results:
- Achieved exceptionally low optical loss coefficient in the synthesized crystals.
- The Pt1Ag18-I crystal demonstrated a record-low optical loss of 6.4 × 10^-4 dB µm^-1.
- Established quantitative positive correlations between waveguide performance and key photophysical parameters.
Conclusions:
- Atomic-level coordination engineering is a viable strategy for tailoring photonic transport in nanocluster-assembled crystals.
- The developed SAR model bridges atomic precision with macroscopic optical device functionality.
- This work paves the way for next-generation integrated photonics through rational design of photonic materials.
