Mechanically tunable nonlinear optics from a van der Waals interface in twisted hexagonal boron nitride heterostructures

ORAL

Abstract

In the bulk limit, the second harmonic generation (SHG) response from hexagonal boron nitride (BN) includes electric quadrupole and dipole contributions. Both the total layer number and layer parity play a critical role in determining the overall nonlinear optical response. Here we investigate micromechanical devices consisting of a rotatable crystal of bulk BN placed on top of another crystal of BN, where the relative rotational alignment of the two crystal lattices can be dynamically tuned via an atomic force microscope (AFM) in contact mode. We find significant angle dependence of the unpolarized SHG response where the SHG signal is strongly suppressed or enhanced depending on the stacking order (AA’ or AA, respectively) at the homojunction between the top and bottom BN. At intermediate rotation angles of the top BN crystal between 0 and 60 degrees, we observe continuous modulation of both the SHG intensity and polarization. The non-symmetry-selective third harmonic generation (THG) signal remains unchanged over all rotation angles, suggesting that the observed modulation in nonlinear optical response is induced by mechanically tuning the symmetry at the van der Waals interface between the crystals.

*Support by ProQM, an EFRC funded by US DOE/Office of Sciences/BES: DE-SC0019443

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Presenters

  • Nathan Finney

    • Mechanical Engineering, Columbia University
    • Physics, Columbia University
    • Columbia University

Authors

  • Nathan Finney

    • Mechanical Engineering, Columbia University
    • Physics, Columbia University
    • Columbia University

  • Kaiyuan Yao

    • Columbia University
    • Mechanical Engineering, Columbia University

  • Samuel Moore

    • Columbia University
    • Physics, Columbia University

  • Fang Liu

    • Columbia University
    • Chemistry, Columbia University

  • Jenny Ardelean

    • Mechanical Engineering, Columbia University

  • Xinyi Xu

    • Mechanical Engineering, Columbia University
    • Columbia University

  • Kenji Watanabe

    • National Institute for Materials Science, Japan
    • National Institute for Material Science
    • National Institute for Materials Science
    • National Institute for Materials Science, Tsukuba
    • Research Center for Functional Materials, NIMS
    • nims
    • Advanced Materials Laboratory, National Institute for Materials Science
    • National Institute for Materials Science, 1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba 305-0044, Japan
    • NIMS
    • National Institute for Material Science - Japan
    • NIMS Tsukuba
    • National Institute for Materials Science, Namiki 1-1, Ibaraki 305-0044, Japan.
    • National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS)
    • National Institute for Materials Science,Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0047, Japan
    • Advanced Materials Laboratory, NIMS, Japan
    • National Institute for Materials Science,1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba, 305-0044, Japan
    • National Institute of Materials Science
    • National Institute for Materials Science, University of Tsukuba
    • National Institute for Materials Science, Tsukuba, Japan
    • National Institute for Material Science, Japan
    • National Institue for Material Science, Tsukuba
    • Advanced Materials Laboratory, NIMS
    • Advanced Materials Laboratory, National Institute for Materials Science, Tsukuba 305-0044, Japan
    • Advanced Matrials Lab, NIMS
    • National Institute for Material Science, Tsukuba, Japan
    • National institute for materials science
    • NIMS-Tsukuba
    • NIMS, Japan
    • National Institute for Materials Science, Namiki Tsukuba Ibaraki, Japan
    • NIRM
    • Advanced Materials Laboratory, National Institute for Materials Science, Tsukuba, Japan
    • NIMS Japan
    • National Institute for Materials Science, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0044, Japan
    • Research Center for Functional Materials, National Institute for Materials Science, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
    • Advanced Materials Laboratory, National Institute of Materials Science
    • Advanced Materials Laboratory, National Institute for Materials Science 1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba, 305-0044, Japan
    • National Institute of Material Science, 1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba 305-0044, Japan
    • National Institute for Material Science (Japan)
    • Physics, NIMS
    • National Institute of Materials Science, Japan
    • National Institute of Materials Science (NIMS)
    • National Institute of Materials Science, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0044, Japan
    • NIMS - Tsukuba

  • Takashi Taniguchi

    • National Institute for Materials Science, Japan
    • National Institute for Material Science
    • National Institute for Materials Science
    • National Institute for Materials Science, Tsukuba
    • Research Center for Functional Materials, NIMS
    • nims
    • Advanced Materials Laboratory, National Institute for Materials Science
    • National Institute for Materials Science, 1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba 305-0044, Japan
    • NIMS
    • National Institute for Material Science - Japan
    • NIMS Tsukuba
    • National Institute for Materials Science, Namiki 1-1, Ibaraki 305-0044, Japan.
    • National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS)
    • National Institute for Materials Science,Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0047, Japan
    • Advanced Materials Laboratory, NIMS, Japan
    • National Institute for Materials Science,1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba, 305-0044, Japan
    • National Institute of Materials Science
    • National Institute for Materials Science, University of Tsukuba
    • National Institute for Materials Science, Tsukuba, Japan
    • National Institue for Material Science, Tsukuba
    • Advanced Materials Laboratory, NIMS
    • Advanced Materials Laboratory, National Institute for Materials Science, Tsukuba 305-0044, Japan
    • Advanced Matrials Lab, NIMS
    • National Institute for Material Science, Tsukuba, Japan
    • National institute for materials science
    • NIMS-Tsukuba
    • NIMS, Japan
    • National Institute for Materials Science, Namiki Tsukuba Ibaraki, Japan
    • Advanced Materials Laboratory, National Institute for Materials Science, Tsukuba, Japan
    • NIMS Japan
    • National Institute for Materials Science, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0044, Japan
    • Research Center for Functional Materials, National Institute for Materials Science, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
    • Advanced Materials Laboratory, National Institute of Materials Science
    • Advanced Materials Laboratory, National Institute for Materials Science 1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba, 305-0044, Japan
    • National Institute of Material Science, 1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba 305-0044, Japan
    • National Institute for Material Science (Japan)
    • Physics, NIMS
    • National Institute of Materials Science, Japan
    • National Institute of Materials Science, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0044, Japan
    • NIMS - Tsukuba

  • Xiaoyang Zhu

    • Columbia Univ
    • Chemistry, Columbia University
    • Columbia University, Chemistry
    • Columbia University
    • Department of Chemistry, Columbia University

  • Dmitri Basov

    • Columbia University, The Department of Physics
    • Columbia University
    • Physics, Columbia University
    • Columbia Univ
    • Department of Physics, Columbia University

  • Cory Dean

    • Department of Physics, Columbia University
    • Columbia University
    • Columbia Univ
    • Physics, Columbia University

  • P. James Schuck

    • Columbia University
    • Mechanical Engineering, Columbia University

  • James C Hone

    • Columbia University
    • Mechanical Engineering, Columbia University
    • Columbia Univ
    • Physics, Columbia University
    • Columbia University, NY, USA
    • Department of Mechanical Engineering, Columbia University