Experiments confirm light-squeezing 2-D exciton-polaritons can exist
Tuesday, July 7, 2020 - 09:10
in Physics & Chemistry
Measurements of the optical response of 2-D transition-metal dichalcogenides have now pinpointed real material systems in which a hypothesized light-squeezing quasiparticle can form. The 2-D exciton-polariton, which couples light to bound electron-hole pairs in the form of excitons in an unusual way, can confine light to dimensions orders of magnitude below the diffraction limit. Confining light to such a high degree may affect more than the resolving power of imaging devices and detector sensitivity. Recent studies of cavity modes have suggested that highly confined light could also alter the inherent properties of materials.