No. 05
金刚石钟形探针实现局域驱动光电流的亚波长中红外成像Sub-wavelength mid-infrared imaging of locally driven photocurrents using diamond campanile probes
提出金刚石基金属—绝缘体—金属钟形探针,把10微米中红外光绝热压缩到约0.7微米,用于石墨烯局域光电流的亚波长成像,光电流信号密度增强约10³倍。
将中红外(mid-IR)光精确、高效地汇聚到亚波长体积,对于探测低能激发和实现强场增强至关重要,但长波长下的吸收损耗与耦合效率低下阻碍了这一目标。本文提出一种基于金刚石的金属—绝缘体—金属钟形探针,可将自由空间中的中红外光(10 μm)绝热压缩至约0.7 μm的尺度。该探针集成到扫描光电压显微镜中,实现了石墨烯中局域驱动光电流的亚波长成像,在低至约0.1 eV的能量下分辨出偏振相关且对接触敏感的响应。实验揭示出光电流信号密度增强达10 3 倍、光功率耦合效率高于1%、近场光通量密度提高18倍,与数值模拟结果一致。该探针在量子级联激光器和自由电子激光器上的运行表明,它是一个稳健、光谱可调的平台,可用于高分辨率探索原子级薄材料中的低能载流子动力学,为中红外光电子学和量子光子学开辟了机会。
Abstract (English)
Precise and high efficiency concentration of mid-infrared (mid-IR) light into sub-wavelength volumes is essential for probing low-energy excitations and achieving strong field enhancements, which is hindered by absorption losses and coupling inefficiencies at long wavelengths. Here, we introduce a diamond-based metal-insulator-metal campanile probe that adiabatically compresses free-space mid-infrared light (10 μm) into ≈ 0.7 μm domain. Integrated into a scanning photovoltage microscope, the probe enables sub-wavelength mapping of locally driven photocurrents in graphene, resolving polarization-dependent and contact-sensitive responses at energies down to ≈ 0.1 eV. Experiments reveal a photocurrent signal density enhancement of 10 3 , coupling light power efficiencies above 1%, and an 18-fold increase in near-field light flux density, in agreement with numerical simulations. Operation of the probe with quantum cascade and free-electron lasers demonstrates a robust, spectrally tunable platform for high-resolution exploration of low-energy carrier dynamics in atomically thin materials, opening opportunities for mid-IR optoelectronics and quantum photonics.
Rajasekhar Medapalli, Nathan D. Cottam, Khushboo Agarwal, Benjamin T. Dewes, Nils Dessmann, Sergio Gonzalez-Munoz, Wenjing Yan, Vaidotas Mišeikis, Sergey Kafanov, Rostislav V. Mikhaylovskiy, Samuel P. Jarvis, Camilla Coletti, Britta Redlich, Amalia Patanè, Oleg V. Kolosov
Commun. Phys. (2026)
10.1038/s42005-026-02954-4
No. 06
由一维纳米带原子级编织合成二维量子材料Synthetic 2D quantum materials from atomic weaving of 1D nanoribbons
提出原子尺度乐高式策略,将石墨烯纳米带交织成稳定周期性的二维网络,带隙由带宽决定、带间距调控带宽并在费米能级附近形成平带,还构筑出对称保护的笼目与方格晶格。
由低维构建单元自下而上范德华(vdW)组装量子材料,为设计具有定制量子性质的材料提供了一条灵活且结构明确的途径。虽然堆叠二维(2D)范德华材料已经产生了高度可调的演生拓扑与关联现象平台,并开辟了具有广泛横向设计自由度的三维(3D)层状结构之路,但其他低维材料的自下而上范德华组装在很大程度上仍未被探索。本文提出一种原子尺度乐高式构建策略,从一维纳米带组装出二维材料,通过对晶格几何、堆叠和边缘构型的原子尺度控制,在结构层面嵌入设计自由度。以石墨烯纳米带(GNRs)为原型,我们发展了一种通用编织方法,将平直或弯曲的纳米带交织成稳定、周期性的二维网络——这类似于把二维薄片堆叠成三维晶体,只不过是从一维单元推进到二维架构。由此得到的编织石墨烯纳米带(w-GNRs)表现出依赖于几何的电子行为:带宽度决定带隙,而带间间距控制带宽并在费米能级附近导致平带形成。通过编织弯曲纳米带,我们构建了具有对称保护平带和轨道简并的笼目与方格晶格构型。这一原子乐高框架使得由一维组分可规模化构建人工二维材料成为可能,拓展了具有演生量子性质的高度可调二维体系的设计空间。
Abstract (English)
The bottom-up van der Waals (vdW) assembly of quantum materials from low-dimensional building blocks provides a flexible and structurally defined route for designing materials with tailored quantum properties. While stacking two-dimensional (2D) vdW materials has yielded highly tunable platforms for emergent topological and correlated phenomena and has opened pathways toward three-dimensional (3D) layered architectures with extensive lateral design flexibility, the bottom-up vdW assembly of other low-dimensional materials remains largely unexplored. Here, we propose an atomic-scale Lego construction strategy that assembles 2D materials from 1D nanoribbons, embedding design freedom at the structural level through atomic-scale control over lattice geometry, stacking, and edge configuration. Using graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) as a prototype, we develop a general weaving approach that interlaces flat or curved ribbons into stable, periodic 2D networks-analogous to stacking 2D sheets into 3D crystals, but instead progressing from 1D elements to 2D architectures. The resulting woven GNRs (w-GNRs) exhibit geometry-dependent electronic behavior: ribbon width determines the band gap, while inter-ribbon spacing controls the bandwidth and leads to flat-band formation near the Fermi level. By weaving curved ribbons, we construct kagome and square lattice configurations that host symmetry-protected flat bands and orbital degeneracies. This atomic Lego framework enables scalable construction of artificial 2D materials from 1D components, expanding the design space for highly tunable 2D systems with emergent quantum properties.
Xin Wang, Qiaoling Xu, Dongdong An, Tao Zhang, Lanting Shi, Xianliang Zhou, Bo Lin, Kaiwei Wan, Zhuqin Zhang, Majeed Ur Rehman, Lede Xian
Commun. Phys. 9 (2026)
10.1038/s42005-026-02936-6