Strong light-matter interactions in thin black phosphorus films

© 2016 IEEE. Black phosphorus (BP) is an intrinsically anisotropic 2D material that possesses exotic electrical and physical properties, including a direct bandgap, the ability to support surface plasmons polaritons (SPPs) at infrared and optical frequencies, and electrical reconfiguration through applied electrostatic/magnetostatic fields and mechanical strain. Here, we investigate the use of BP to strongly enhance light-matter interactions by exciting anisotropic and hyperbolic ultra-confined SPPs on the structure. Our numerical results confirm the potential of black phosphorus as an interesting optical plasmonic platform, with applications in the development of optoelectronic devices, modulators, and communication systems.