Hot-Electron-Assisted Femtosecond All-Optical Modulation in MXene-Based Heterostructures.
basic_science · Level V
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- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 41243242.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1021/acs.nanolett.5c04242.
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Abstract
All-optical modulators are essential for photonic circuits, yet their limited nonlinearity and high fabrication complexity have hindered the scalable implementation. In this work, we present a lithography-free, ultracompact heterostructure based on Ti<sub>3</sub>C<sub>2</sub>T<sub><i>x</i></sub> MXene, enabling plasmon-driven femtosecond modulation of both visible and near-infrared light with a broadband response and low energy consumption. Upon photoexcitation, surface plasmon resonances facilitate the generation of hot electrons, which are subsequently relaxed by injection into a thin electron-accepting indium tin oxide layer in an ultrafast process, functioning as an all-optical switch. By optimization of the hot-carrier excitation and relaxation pathways, a switching time as low as 126 fs and a large modulation depth of up to 21.6% are realized. This work introduces a cost-effective and facile high-performance all-optical platform, holding great promise for future on-chip nanophotonics.