Abstract

Two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors are emerging as a versatile platform for nanophotonics, offering unprecedented tunability in optical properties through exciton resonance engineering, van der Waals heterostructuring, and external field control. These materials enable active optical modulation, single-photon emission, quantum photonics, and valleytronic functionalities, paving the way for next-generation optoelectronic and quantum photonic devices. However, key challenges remain in achieving large-area integration, maintaining excitonic coherence, and optimizing amplitude-phase modulation for efficient light manipulation. Advances in fabrication, strain engineering, and computational modeling will be crucial to overcoming these limitations. This Perspective highlights recent progress in 2D semiconductor-based nanophotonics, emphasizing opportunities for scalable integration into photonics.

Details

Title
Photonics in Flatland: challenges and opportunities for nanophotonics with 2D semiconductors
Author
Azimi, Ali 1 ; Barrier, Julien 2 ; Barreda, Angela 3 ; Bauer, Thomas 4 ; Bouzari, Farzaneh 5 ; Brokkelkamp, Abel 6 ; Buatier de Mongeot, Francesco 7 ; Parsons, Timothy 8 ; Christianen, Peter 9 ; Conesa-Boj, Sonia 6 ; Curto, Alberto G. 10 ; Das, Suprova 11 ; Dias, Bernardo 4 ; Epstein, Itai 12 ; Fedorova, Zlata 11 ; García de Abajo, F. Javier 13 ; Goykhman, Ilya 14 ; Greten, Lara 15 ; Grönqvist, Johanna 4 ; Guarneri, Ludovica 4 ; Guo, Yujie 10 ; Hoekstra, Tom 4 ; Hu, Xuerong 8 ; Laudert, Benjamin 11 ; Lynch, Jason 16 ; Meyer, Sabrina 15 ; Munkhbat, Battulga 17 ; Neshev, Dragomir 18 ; Ogienko, Masha 19 ; Papadopoulos, Sotirios 20 ; Parappurath, Aparna 10 ; Sangers, Jeroen 6 ; Soubelet, Pedro 21 ; Soukaras, Chris 6 ; Soavi, Giancarlo 11 ; Staude, Isabelle 11 ; Sun, Zhipei 22 ; Tielrooij, Klaas-Jan 23 ; Uddin, MD Gius 22 ; Ustinov, Alexey 11 ; van de Groep, Jorik 4 ; van Wezel, Jasper 4 ; Vermeulen, Nathalie 24 ; Wang, Hai 25 ; Wang, Yadong 8 ; Xiao, Sanshui 17 ; You, Bingying 10 ; Zambrana-Puyalto, Xavier 26 

1  Experimental Physics and Functional Materials, Brandenburg University of Technology, Cottbus, Germany (ROR: https://ror.org/02wxx3e24) (GRID: grid.8842.6) (ISNI: 0000 0001 2188 0404) 
2  ICFO—The Institute of Photonic Sciences, Castelldefels, Barcelona, Spain (ROR: https://ror.org/03g5ew477) (GRID: grid.5853.b) (ISNI: 0000 0004 1757 1854) 
3  Department of Electronic Engineering, University Carlos III of Madrid, Leganés, Spain (ROR: https://ror.org/03ths8210) (GRID: grid.7840.b) (ISNI: 0000 0001 2168 9183) 
4  Institute of Physics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands (ROR: https://ror.org/04dkp9463) (GRID: grid.7177.6) (ISNI: 0000000084992262) 
5  Department of Electronics and Nanoengineering, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland (ROR: https://ror.org/020hwjq30) (GRID: grid.5373.2) (ISNI: 0000 0001 0838 9418) 
6  Quantum Nanoscience, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands (ROR: https://ror.org/02e2c7k09) (GRID: grid.5292.c) (ISNI: 0000 0001 2097 4740) 
7  Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Genova, Genova, Italy (ROR: https://ror.org/0107c5v14) (GRID: grid.5606.5) (ISNI: 0000 0001 2151 3065) 
8  School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom (ROR: https://ror.org/05krs5044) (GRID: grid.11835.3e) (ISNI: 0000 0004 1936 9262) 
9  High Field Magnet Laboratory (HFML-EMFL), Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands (ROR: https://ror.org/016xsfp80) (GRID: grid.5590.9) (ISNI: 0000000122931605) 
10  Photonics Research Group, Ghent University-imec, Ghent, Belgium (ROR: https://ror.org/00cv9y106) (GRID: grid.5342.0) (ISNI: 0000 0001 2069 7798); Center for Nano- and Biophotonics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium (ROR: https://ror.org/00cv9y106) (GRID: grid.5342.0) (ISNI: 0000 0001 2069 7798) 
11  Institute of Solid-State Physics, Abbe Center of Photonics, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany (ROR: https://ror.org/05qpz1x62) (GRID: grid.9613.d) (ISNI: 0000 0001 1939 2794) 
12  School of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel (ROR: https://ror.org/04mhzgx49) (GRID: grid.12136.37) (ISNI: 0000 0004 1937 0546) 
13  ICFO—The Institute of Photonic Sciences, Castelldefels, Barcelona, Spain (ROR: https://ror.org/03g5ew477) (GRID: grid.5853.b) (ISNI: 0000 0004 1757 1854); ICREA-Institucio Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats, Barcelona, Spain (ROR: https://ror.org/0371hy230) (GRID: grid.425902.8) (ISNI: 0000 0000 9601 989X) 
14  Institute of Applied Physics, The Faculty of Science, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel (ROR: https://ror.org/03qxff017) (GRID: grid.9619.7) (ISNI: 0000 0004 1937 0538) 
15  Institut für Physik und Astronomie, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany (ROR: https://ror.org/03v4gjf40) (GRID: grid.6734.6) (ISNI: 0000 0001 2292 8254) 
16  Electrical and Systems Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA (ROR: https://ror.org/00b30xv10) (GRID: grid.25879.31) (ISNI: 0000 0004 1936 8972) 
17  Department of Electrical and Photonics Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark (ROR: https://ror.org/04qtj9h94) (GRID: grid.5170.3) (ISNI: 0000 0001 2181 8870) 
18  ARC Centre of Excellence for Transformative Meta-Optical Systems (TMOS), Research School of Physics, Australian National University, Acton, Australia (ROR: https://ror.org/019wvm592) (GRID: grid.1001.0) (ISNI: 0000 0001 2180 7477) 
19  Institute of Physics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands (ROR: https://ror.org/04dkp9463) (GRID: grid.7177.6) (ISNI: 0000000084992262); NWO Institute AMOLF, Amsterdam, The Netherlands 
20  Institut de Physique et Chimie des Matériaux de Strasbourg, Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, Strasbourg, France (ROR: https://ror.org/00pg6eq24) (GRID: grid.11843.3f) (ISNI: 0000 0001 2157 9291) 
21  Walter Schottky Institut, TUM School of Natural Sciences, Technische Universität München, Garching, Germany (ROR: https://ror.org/02kkvpp62) (GRID: grid.6936.a) (ISNI: 0000 0001 2322 2966) 
22  QTF Centre of Excellence, Department of Electronics and Nanoengineering, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland (ROR: https://ror.org/020hwjq30) (GRID: grid.5373.2) (ISNI: 0000 0001 0838 9418) 
23  Applied Physics and Science Education, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands (ROR: https://ror.org/02c2kyt77) (GRID: grid.6852.9) (ISNI: 0000 0004 0398 8763); CSIC & BIST, Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2), Bellaterra (Barcelona), Spain (ROR: https://ror.org/00k1qja49) (GRID: grid.424584.b) (ISNI: 0000 0004 6475 7328) 
24  Brussels Photonics, Department of Applied Physics and Photonics, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussel, Belgium (ROR: https://ror.org/006e5kg04) (GRID: grid.8767.e) (ISNI: 0000 0001 2290 8069) 
25  Nanophotonics, Debye Institute for Nanomaterials Science, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands (ROR: https://ror.org/04pp8hn57) (GRID: grid.5477.1) (ISNI: 0000 0000 9637 0671) 
26  Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, Fysikvej, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark (ROR: https://ror.org/04qtj9h94) (GRID: grid.5170.3) (ISNI: 0000 0001 2181 8870) 
Pages
44
Section
Perspective
Publication year
2025
Publication date
Dec 2025
Publisher
Nature Publishing Group
e-ISSN
2948216X
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s44310-025-00092-3
ProQuest document ID
3279124025
Copyright
© The Author(s) 2025. This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the "License"). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.