SCOPE

Strongly Coupled Optoelectronics (SCOPE)-Vici grant 2017-2022

The performance of optoelectronic devices (devices that emit light from an electrical current or produce a current from light) is determined by material properties such as the diffusion of bound electrical charge excitations, i.e., the so-called excitons. In materials with a high degree of structural disorder, which are typically easy to process and, consequently, interesting for applications such as solar cells and detectors, this diffusion is reduced by the disorder and the efficiency of devices is severely limited.

In this project, researchers will investigate the coupling of light to materials developed for optoelectronic applications. These material are organic blendes used in organic solar cells and novel two-dimensional semiconductors developed for ultrathin devices. In particular, a regime of this coupling, known as strong light-matter coupling, will be investigated. Strong light-matter coupling corresponds to the situation in which light hybridizes with excitons in the material to form the so-called exciton-polaritons. Exciton-polaritons are half-light and half-matter particles that are expected to diffuse over much longer distances than excitons in normal materials due to their hybrid character.

In order to achieve strong coupling it is necessary to confine light in an optical cavity, which is typically formed by a pair of very good mirrors, and place the material inside. This configuration limits the use of strong coupling in optoelectronic devices, such as solar cells or photodetectors, in which the material needs to be exposed as good as possible to light. Therefore, researchers will use open cavities recently discovered, which are easy to access by light from the outside. These cavities are formed by periodic arrays of metallic nanoparticles with very precise structure and dimensions to achieve strong coupling to materials deposited on top. Researchers will also investigate the condensation of exciton-polaritons in open cavities formed by arrays of nanoparticles. This condensation corresponds to the accumulation of the exciton-polaritons in the same state, i.e. the ground state. By controlling the dimension of the nanoparticles and the structure of the array, researchers will achieve control of the flow of exciton-polaritons, opening a myriad of possibilities for fundamental research and applications.

People

• Matthijs Berghuis
• Stan ter Huurne
• Ping Bai
• Mohammad Ramezani
• Jaime Gómez Rivas

Publications

• A.M. Berghuis, T.V. Raziman, A. Halpin, S. Wang, A.G. Curto, and J. Gómez Rivas, Effective Negative Diffusion of Singlet Excitons in Organic Semiconductors, The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters,  12, 1360–1366 (2021).
• M.H.C. van Son,  A.M. Berghuis, F. Eisenreich, B. de Waal, G. Vantomme, J. Gómez Rivas, and E. W. Meijer, Highly Ordered 2D-Assemblies of Phase-Segregated Block Molecules for Upconverted Linearly Polarized Emission, Adv. Mater. 32, 2004775 (2020).
• S. Wang, T.V. Raziman, S. Murai, G.W. Castellanos, P. Bai, A.M. Berghuis, R.H. Godiksen, A.G. Curto, and J. Gómez Rivas, Collective Mie Exciton-Polaritons in an Atomically Thin Semiconductor, J. Phys, Chem. C, 124 (35), 19196-19203 (2020).
• S. Murai, D.R. Abujetas, G.W. Castellanos, J.A. Sánchez-Gil, F. Zhang, and J. Gómez Rivas, Bound States in the Continuum in the Visible Emerging from Out-of-Plane Magnetic Dipoles, ACS Photonics, 7 (8), 2204-2210 (2020).
• R.H. Godiksen, S.J. Wang, T.V. Raziman, M.H.D. Guimaraes, J. Gómez Rivas, and A.G. Curto, Correlated Exciton Fluctuations in a Two–Dimensional Semiconductor on a Metal, Nano Letters 20 (7), 4829-4836 (2020).
• A.M. Berghuis, V. Serpenti, M. Ramezani, S. Wang, J. Gómez Rivas, Light-Matter Coupling Strength Controlled by the Orientation of Organic Crystals in Plasmonic Cavities, The Journal of Physical Chemistry C,  124, 22, 12030–12038 (2020).
• G.W. Castellanos, S. Murai, T.V. Raziman, S. Wang, M. Ramezani, A.G. Curto, Exciton-Polaritons with Magnetic and Electric Character in All-dielectric Metasurfaces, ACS Photonics 7, 5, 1226–1234 (2020).
• S. Murai, G.W. Castellanos, T.V. Raziman, A.G. Curto, J. Gómez Rivas, Enhanced light emission by magnetic and electric resonances in dielectric metasurfaces, Advanced Optical Materials, 1902024 (2020).
• S. Murai, K. Noguchi, G.W. Castellanos, S. Wang, K. Tanaka, J.Gómez Rivas, Light Conversion Efficiency of Emitters on Top of Plasmonic and Dielectric Arrays of Nanoparticles, ECS Journal of Solid State Science and Technology 9 (1), 011614 (2020).
• N. van Hoof, M. Parente, A. Baldi, J. Gómez Rivas, Terahertz Time‐Domain Spectroscopy and Near‐Field Microscopy of Transparent Silver Nanowire Networks, Advanced Optical Materials 8 (3), 1900790 (2020).
• M. Ramezani, A. Halpin, S. Wang, M. Berghuis, and J. Gómez Rivas, Ultrafast Dynamics of Nonequilibrium Organic Exciton–Polariton Condensates, Nano Letters 19, 8590-8596 (2019).
• E. Petronijevic, E. Mendoza Sandoval, M. Ramezani, C.L. Ordóñez-Romero, C. Noguez, F.A. Bovino, C. Sibilia, and G. Pirruccio, Extended chiro-optical near-field response of achiral plasmonic lattices, J. Phys. Chem. C2019, 123, 38, 23620 (2019).
• N.J.J. van Hoof, M. Parente, A. Baldi, and J. Gómez Rivas, Terahertz Time‐Domain Spectroscopy and Near‐Field Microscopy of Transparent Silver Nanowire Networks, Adv. Opt. Mat. 1900790 (2019).
• D.R. Abujetas, N. van Hoof, S. ter Huurne, J. Gómez Rivas, J.A. Sánchez-Gil, Spectral and temporal evidence of robust photonic bound states in the continuum on terahertz metasurfaces, Optica 6, 996 (2019).
• A. M. Berghuis, A. Halpin, Q. Le‐Van, M. Ramezani, S. Wang, S. Murai, and J. Gómez Rivas, Enhanced Delayed Fluorescence in Tetracene Crystals by Strong Light‐Matter Coupling, Adv. Func. Matt. 1901317 (2019).
• M. Ramezani, M. Berghuis, and Jaime Gómez Rivas, Strong light–matter coupling and exciton-polariton condensation in lattices of plasmonic nanoparticles, J. Opt. Soc. Am. 36, E88-E103 (2019).
• G.W. Castellanos, P. Bai, and J. Gómez Rivas, Lattice resonances in dielectric metasurfaces, J. Appl. Phys. 125, 213105 (2019).
• D.R. Abujetas, J. Feist, F.J. García-Vidal, J. Gómez Rivas, and J.A. Sánchez-Gil, Strong coupling between weakly guided semiconductor nanowire modes and an organic dye, Phys. Rev. B 99, 205409 (2019).
• S. Eizagirre Barker, S. Wang, R.H. Godiksen, G.W. Castellanos, M. Berghuis, T. V. Raziman, A.G. Curto, J. Gómez Rivas, Preserving the Emission Lifetime and Efficiency of a Monolayer Semiconductor upon Transfer, Adv. Opt. Mat. , 1900351 (2019).
• R.F. Hamans, M. Parente, G.W. Castellanos, M. Ramezani, J. Gómez Rivas, and A. Baldi, Super-resolution Mapping of EnhancedEmission by Collective Plasmonic Resonances, ACS Nano 13 (4), 4514-4521 (2019).
  
• N.J.J. van Hoof, S.E.T. ter Huurne, R.H.J. Vervuurt, A.A. Bol, A. Halpin, and J. Gómez Rivas, Diffraction Enhanced Transparency in a Hybrid Gold-Graphene THz Metasurface, APL Photon. 4, 036104 (2019).
• S. Wang, Q. Le-Van, F. Vaianella, B. Maes, S. Eizagirre Barker, R. H Godiksen, A. G. Curto, J. Gómez Rivas, Limits to Strong Coupling of Excitons in Multilayer WS2 with Collective Plasmonic Resonances, ACS Photonics 6, 286 (2019).
• Q. Le‐Van, E. Zoethout, E‐J. Geluk, M. Ramezani, M. Berghuis, J. Gómez Rivas, Enhanced Quality Factors of Surface Lattice Resonances in Plasmonic Arrays of Nanoparticles, Adv. Opt. Mat. 7, 1801451 (2019).
• N. J. J. van Hoof, S. E. T. ter Huurne, J. Gómez Rivas, and A. Halpin, Time-resolved terahertz time-domain near-field microscopy, Opt. Express 26, 32118-32129 (2018).

Bachelor and master thesis

• Bachelor thesis Strong Light-Matter Coupling in Tetracene Crystals on an Array of Silver Nanorods by Vincent Serpenti (2019).
• Bachelor thesis Direct measurements of terahertz near- field dipole emission by Giel Timmermans  (2019).
• Bachelor thesis Exciton Transport in Tetracene Crystals by Martijn van Asseldonk (2019).
• Bachelor thesis Modeling of Exciton Transport in 2D Semiconductors by Daan Swinkels (2018).
• Internship report Exciton Dynamics in Atomically-Thin Transition Metal Dichalcogenides by of Simone Eizagirre (2018).
• Internship report Fabrication of atomically thin two dimensional semiconductors by Lisette Spiering (2018).

Patents

• 2018: Method and system for performing terahertz near-field measurements.

Conference contributions

Contributed talks

• IRMMW 2019 – Paris (FR), Non-invasive local (photo)conductivity measurements of metallic and semiconductor structures in the near-field, by Niels van Hoof and Stan ter Huurne.
• NANOP 2019 – Munich (DE) Strong Light-Matter Coupling for Enhancing Delayed Fluorescence in Tetracene Crystals by Matthijs Berghuis (2019-07)
• Optical Probe 2019 – Vilnius (Lt) Strong Light-Matter Coupling for Enhancing Delayed Fluorescence in Tetracene Crystals by Matthijs Berghuis et al. (2019-07-08)
• CLEO Europe 2019 – Munich (DE) Local non-invasive (photo)conductivity measurements of metallic and semiconductor devices by Niels van Hoof et al. (2019-06-26)
• CLEO Europe 2019 – Munich (DE) Bound States in the Continuum at THz Frequencies by Stan ter Huurne et al. (2019-06-24)
• OTST 2019 – Santa Fe (USA) Simultaneous Detection of Sub-Diffraction Terahertz Transients and Luminescence of Photoexcited Samples by Niels van Hoof et al. (2019-03-14)
• N2D 2019 – Nanophotonics of 2D materials, Shanghai (China) Enhanced valley-polarized emission from 2D semiconductors on nanoantennas by Alberto Curto et al.  (2019-01-14)
• IRRMW-THz 2018, Nagoya (Japan) Diffraction Enhanced Transparency in a Hybrid Gold-Graphene THz Metasurface by Stan ter Huurne et al.
• IRRMW-THz 2018, Nagoya (Japan) THz Transient Photoconductivity With Near-Field Detection by Niels van Hoof et al.
• NFO15, Troyes (France) Screened Strong Coupling of Excitons in Multilayer WS2 with Collective Plasmonic Resonances by Shaojun Wang et al. (2018-08-30).
• NFO15, Troyes (France) Diffraction Enhanced Transparency in a Hybrid Gold-Graphene THz Metasurface by Stan ter Huurne at al. (2018-08-28).
• PLMCN19, Chengdu(China) Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging of Exciton Dynamics and Transport in WS2 Monolayers by Shaojun Wang et al. (2018-05-15).
• TNT2018, Lecce (Italy) Interaction and coherence of a plasmon-exciton polariton condensate by Milena De Giorgi at al.

Invited talks and lectures

• Keynote presentation @ IRMMW-THz 2019 – Paris (Fr) THz Resonances with Infinite Lifetime in Array of Gold Resonators, by Stan ter Huurne (2019, September 3).
• Invited talk @ OSA Advanced Photonics Congress: Integrated Photonics Research – San Francisco (USA), Silicon and Nanophotonics Extended open cavities for polaritonic devices, by J. Gómez Rivas et al. (2019, July 31- August 2)
• Keynote presentation @ Optics, Photonics & Laser Technologies-2019  – San Francisco (USA), Plasmon-exciton-polariton condensation and lasing, by J. Gómez Rivas et al. (2019, June 3-5).
• Invited lecture @ Peter (Plasmon Enhanced Terahertz Electron Paramagnetic Resonance) workshop (Kleinwalsertal, Austria) THz resonances with arbitrary lifetime in metals and semiconductors, by Jaime Gómez Rivas et al. (2019- June 16-20).
• Invited talk @ POEM2019 – 2nd Photonic and Optoelectronic Materials Conference ( University College London, London), THz Resonances with Infinity Lifetime, by Jaime Gómez Rivas et al. (2019- April 09-12).
• Invited talk @ POEM2019 – 2nd Photonic and Optoelectronic Materials Conference ( University College London, London), Plasmon-exciton-polariton condensation and lasing, by Jaime Gómez Rivas et al. (2019- April 09-12).
• Invited lecture @ PhD school (Kyoto Universtiy, Japan), Extended open cavities for polaritonic devices, by Jaime Gómez Rivas et al. (2018-11-12).
• Invited seminar @ CDT Metamaterials (Exeter, UK), Surface Lattice Resonances in Arrays of Metallic Particles: From Enhanced Emission to Induced Transparency, by Jaime Gómez Rivas et al. (2018-10-12).
• Invited talk @ ICSPC9 (Montreal (Canada)), Plasmon-Exciton-Polariton Lasing, by Mohammad Ramezani et al. (2018-07-15).
• Invited talk @ Ad70 Symposium (Enschede, The Netherlands), Extended open cavities for polaritonic devices, by Jaime Gómez Rivas et al. (2018-06-27).
• Invited talk @ Summer School, “Prospects of Plasmonics for Quantum Technologies” (Göteborg, Sweden), Extended open cavities for polaritonic devices, by Jaime Gomez Rivas et al. (2018-06-25).
• Invited talk @ QED-M2 “New Landscapes for Molecules and Materials”, Collège de France (Paris, France), Strong light-matter coupling in extended open cavities, by Jaime Gomez Rivas et al. (2018-06-18).

Posters in International conferences

• Poster @ N2D 2019 – Nanophotonics of 2D materials 2019 Shanghai (China) “Limits to Strong Coupling of Excitons in Multilayer WS2 with Collective Plasmonic Resonances” by Shaojun Wang et al., presented by Alberto Curto and Rasmus Godiksen (2019-01-15)
• Poster @ N2D 2019 – Nanophotonics of 2D materials 2019 Shanghai (China) “Valley polarization in few-layer WS2 and WSe2: the role of the Q-valley” by Rasmus Godiksen et al. (2019-01-15)
• Poster @ chiral modes in optics and electronics of 2D systems, Aussoirs (France), Screened Strong Coupling of Excitons in Multilayer WS2 with Collective Plasmonic Resonances, by Shaojun Wang (2018-11-26).
• Poster @ XXV INC Summer School, Madrid (Spain), Excitation enhancement and directional emission of 2D semiconductors coupled to nanoatenna arrays, by Gabriel Castellanos (2018-09-15).
• Poster @ NFO15, Troyes (France) Near-field mapping of THz transient photoconductivity, by Niels van Hoof (2018-08-28).
• Poster @ N2d 2017, San Sebastián(Spain), Strong Coupling of Monolayer TMDs with Metallic Photonic Nanostructures at Room Temperature, by Shaojun Wang (2018-08-28).

Contributions in national conferences

• Poster @ ICMS outreach symposium 2019 “Collective resonances and strong light-matter coupling for organic photovoltaics”, by Ping Bai (2019-03-12).
• Poster @ Physics@Veldhoven (Veldhoven 2018). Room temperature strong coupling of 2D semiconductors with plasmonic nanoantenna arrays, by Shaojun Wang  (2018-01-23).
• Poster @ Physics@Veldhoven (Veldhoven 2018). Plasmon-exciton polariton condensation set by quasi-long range order and nonlinearities, by Mohammad Ramezani (2018-01-23).
• Poster @ Physics@Veldhoven (Veldhoven 2018). THz near-field time-domain spectroscopy of resonant structures and materials, by Niels van Hoof (2018-01-23).

Outreach

Symposia and conferences

• Participation in The Dutch Design Week with two demonstrations about our work in Nanophotonics.
• Co-organization of the 3rd International Workshop Strong Coupling with Organic Molecules (SCOM 2020), Gotheburg (Sweden), April 26-29, 2020 [cancelled due to Covid-19]
• IPI-CWTe symposium Ultrafast Nanophotonics and THz Imaging, TU/e (2019-04-18).
• Co-organization of the 2nd International Workshop Strong Coupling with Organic Molecules (SCOM 2018), Eindhoven, April 16-18, 2018.
• Co-organization of the 1st International Workshop Strong Coupling with Organic Molecules (SCOM 2016), San Sebastian (Spain), October 19-21, 2016.

Press releases and news items