Terahertz phonon engineering with van der Waals heterostructures

Yoseob Yoon (), Zheyu Lu, Can Uzundal, Ruishi Qi, Wenyu Zhao, Sudi Chen, Qixin Feng, Woochang Kim, Mit H. Naik, Kenji Watanabe, Takashi Taniguchi, Steven G. Louie, Michael F. Crommie and Feng Wang ()
Additional contact information
Yoseob Yoon: University of California
Zheyu Lu: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Can Uzundal: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Ruishi Qi: University of California
Wenyu Zhao: University of California
Sudi Chen: University of California
Qixin Feng: University of California
Woochang Kim: University of California
Mit H. Naik: University of California
Kenji Watanabe: National Institute for Materials Science
Takashi Taniguchi: National Institute for Materials Science
Steven G. Louie: University of California
Michael F. Crommie: University of California
Feng Wang: University of California

Nature, 2024, vol. 631, issue 8022, 771-776

Abstract: Abstract Phonon engineering at gigahertz frequencies forms the foundation of microwave acoustic filters1, acousto-optic modulators2 and quantum transducers3,4. Terahertz phonon engineering could lead to acoustic filters and modulators at higher bandwidth and speed, as well as quantum circuits operating at higher temperatures. Despite their potential, methods for engineering terahertz phonons have been limited due to the challenges of achieving the required material control at subnanometre precision and efficient phonon coupling at terahertz frequencies. Here we demonstrate the efficient generation, detection and manipulation of terahertz phonons through precise integration of atomically thin layers in van der Waals heterostructures. We used few-layer graphene as an ultrabroadband phonon transducer that converts femtosecond near-infrared pulses to acoustic-phonon pulses with spectral content up to 3 THz. A monolayer WSe2 is used as a sensor. The high-fidelity readout was enabled by the exciton–phonon coupling and strong light–matter interactions. By combining these capabilities in a single heterostructure and detecting responses to incident mechanical waves, we performed terahertz phononic spectroscopy. Using this platform, we demonstrate high-Q terahertz phononic cavities and show that a WSe2 monolayer embedded in hexagonal boron nitride can efficiently block the transmission of terahertz phonons. By comparing our measurements to a nanomechanical model, we obtained the force constants at the heterointerfaces. Our results could enable terahertz phononic metamaterials for ultrabroadband acoustic filters and modulators and could open new routes for thermal engineering.

Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07604-9

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