Naturally Occurring 2D Heterostructure Nagyágite with Anisotropic Optical Properties

Abstract

Nagyágite is a naturally occurring layered van der Waals heterostructure composed of alternating layers of [Pb(Pb,Sb)S2] and [(Au,Te)], where the component lattices are commensurately modulated. The weak van der Waals stacking between the heterolayers facilitates mechanical exfoliation. Due to its monoclinic crystal structure, nagyágite exhibits structural anisotropy which induces strong optical anisotropy. Here, the anisotropic optical properties of ultrathin nagyágite flakes mechanically exfoliated from a natural mineral are demonstrated through angle-resolved polarized Raman scattering, linear dichroism, and polarization-dependent anisotropic third-harmonic generation. The study establishes nagyágite as a new type of natural van der Waals heterostructure based 2D material, which can be exploited for realizing ultrathin anisotropic optical devices for future on-chip photonic integrated circuits.

Department(s)

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Comments

The authors acknowledge support from the National Science Foundation under Grant No. DMR-1552871 and ECCS-1653032.

Keywords and Phrases

Nagyágite; Optical anisotropy; Raman scattering; Third-harmonic generation; van der Waals heterostructure

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

2196-7350

Document Type

Article - Journal

Document Version

Citation

File Type

text

Language(s)

English

Rights

© 2021 Wiley, All rights reserved.

Publication Date

08 Dec 2021

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