Strain Engineering of 2D Materials Enables More Effortless Photodetection

Using a 2D material and an approach it calls “strainoptronics,” a George Washington University research team created a photodetector that can operate with high efficiency at the wavelength of 1550 nm, a spectral region that offers low-loss transmission and optical gain. The researchers stretched an ultrathin layer of molybdenum telluride on top of a nanoscale silicon photonic waveguide. Using strain engineering, they altered the physical properties of the 2D material to shrink the electronic bandgap. This approach allowed the device to operate at near-infrared wavelengths — specifically, at the telecommunication C-band-relevant wavelength that is around 1550 nm. Artistic representation of a strain-engineered...