Terahertz saturable absorption from relativistic high-temperature thermodynamics in black phosphorus

Adhlakha N, Ebrahimpour Z, Di Pietro P, Schmidt J, Piccirilli F, Fausti D, Montanaro A, Cappelluti E, Lupi S, Perucchi A (2023)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2023

Journal

Physical Review Applied American Physical Society

Book Volume: 20

Article Number: 054039

Journal Issue: 5

DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevApplied.20.054039

Abstract

Due to its tunable infrared band gap and its anisotropic conduction properties, black phosphorus represents a very unique two-dimensional (2D) material, the potential of which in the engineering of new devices still needs to be fully explored. Here, we investigate the nonlinear terahertz (THz) electrodynamics of black phosphorus along the more conducting armchair direction. Similarly to the case of other 2D systems such as graphene and topological insulators, the THz saturable-absorption properties of black phosphorus can be understood within a thermodynamic model by assuming a fast thermalization of the electron bath. While black phosphorus does not display the presence of massless fermions at ambient pressure and temperature, our analysis shows that its anomalous THz nonlinear properties can be accounted for by a relativistic massive Dirac dispersion, provided that the Fermi temperature is low enough. An optimal tuning of the Fermi level therefore represents a strategy to engineer a strong THz nonlinear response in other massive Dirac materials, such as transition-metal dichalchogenides or high-temperature superconductors.

Authors with CRIS profile

Daniele Fausti

Additional Organisation(s)

FAU Profilzentrum Licht.Materie.Quantentechnologien (FAU LMQ)

Involved external institutions

Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste S.C.p.A. IT Italy (IT) Università degli Studi di Trieste IT Italy (IT) Istituto di struttura della materia (ISM) IT Italy (IT) Università degli studi "La Sapienza" IT Italy (IT)

How to cite

APA:

Adhlakha, N., Ebrahimpour, Z., Di Pietro, P., Schmidt, J., Piccirilli, F., Fausti, D.,... Perucchi, A. (2023). Terahertz saturable absorption from relativistic high-temperature thermodynamics in black phosphorus. Physical Review Applied, 20(5). https://dx.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevApplied.20.054039

MLA:

Adhlakha, Nidhi, et al. "Terahertz saturable absorption from relativistic high-temperature thermodynamics in black phosphorus." Physical Review Applied 20.5 (2023).

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