1 research outputs found
Amplitude- and phase-resolved nano-spectral imaging of phonon polaritons in hexagonal boron nitride
Phonon polaritons are quasiparticles resulting from strong coupling of
photons with optical phonons. Excitation and control of these quasiparticles in
2D materials offer the opportunity to confine and transport light at the
nanoscale. Here, we image the phonon polariton (PhP) spectral response in thin
hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) crystals as a representative 2D material using
amplitude- and phase-resolved near-field interferometry with broadband mid-IR
synchrotron radiation. The large spectral bandwidth enables the simultaneous
measurement of both out-of-plane (780 cm-1) and in-plane (1370 cm-1) hBN phonon
modes. In contrast to the strong and dispersive in-plane mode, the out-of-plane
mode PhP response is weak. Measurements of the PhP wavelength reveal a
proportional dependence on sample thickness for thin hBN flakes, which can be
understood by a general model describing two-dimensional polariton excitation
in ultrathin materials