Quantum interactions between transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) and optical cavities are rapidly becoming an appealing research topic since these interactions underly a broad spectrum of optical phenomena. Here, we fabricate a simple device in which coherent strong coupling interactions occur between a photonic crystal (PhC) slab and monolayer tungsten disulfide (WS2). Both steady‐state angle‐resolved spectroscopy and transient absorption microscopy (TAM) are employed to explore the coupling behavior of this device. Specifically, anticrossing dispersions are observed in the hybrid device, indicating a Rabi splitting of 40.2 meV. A newly formed spectral feature emerges in the transient absorption (TA) spectrum of this polariton device under near‐resonant excitation, which is subsequently evidenced to be a signature of the upper hybrid exciton–polariton state. Moreover, by carefully analyzing the ultrafast responses of both bare WS2and the WS2‐PhC polariton device excited both off resonance and near resonance, it is found that nonequilibrium thermal decay induces Coulombic screening in the monolayer WS2, which has a major impact on the formation of exciton–polariton. The results of this work could not only improve the current understanding of photophysics in the strong light–matter coupling regime but also lay the foundation for tailoring the development of TMD‐based coherent devices.
Lifting the valley degeneracy of monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) would allow versatile control of the valley degree of freedom. We report a giant valley exciton splitting of 16 meV/T for monolayer WS2, using the proximity effect from an EuS substrate, which is enhanced by nearly two orders of magnitude from that obtained by an external magnetic field. More interestingly, a sign reversal of the valley splitting is observed as compared to that of WSe2on EuS. Using first principles calculations, we investigate the complex behavior of exchange interactions between TMDs and EuS. The sign reversal is attributed to competing ferromagnetic (FM) and antiferromagnetic (AFM) exchange interactions for Eu- and S- terminated EuS surface sites. They act differently on the conduction and valence bands of WS2compared to WSe2. Tuning the sign and magnitude of the valley exciton splitting offers opportunities for control of valley pseudospin for quantum information processing.
more » « less- NSF-PAR ID:
- 10153947
- Publisher / Repository:
- Nature Publishing Group
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Nature Communications
- Volume:
- 10
- Issue:
- 1
- ISSN:
- 2041-1723
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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