Photonics in Flatland: challenges and opportunities for nanophotonics with 2D semiconductors
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.
Authors
- Jason Lynch
- Yüjie Guo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9870-2817)
- T.H. Hoekstra
- Md Gius Uddin (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8917-7627)
- Peter C. M. Christianen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6361-1605)
- Ali Abbas Azimi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7702-4807)
- Yadong Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8603-3468)
- Zhipei Sun (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9771-5293)
- Abel Brokkelkamp
- Jorik van de Groep (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3033-8005)
- Giancarlo Soavi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2434-2251)
- Hai I. Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0940-3984)
- Sonia Conesa‐Boj (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1716-184X)
- Xavier Zambrana‐Puyalto (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4992-7985)
- Sotirios Papadopoulos (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3225-8239)
- Ilya Goykhman (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8833-9193)
- Bernardo Dias (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3952-2311)
- Ludovica Guarneri (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6119-9549)
- Itai Epstein (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6174-4025)
- Klaas‐Jan Tielrooij (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0055-6231)
- Alberto G. Curto (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3628-5311)
- Sanshui Xiao (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6529-5047)
- Pedro Soubelet (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7232-865X)
- Thomas Bauer (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0887-4717)
- F. Javier Garcı́a de Abajo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4970-4565)
- Dragomir N. Neshev (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4508-8646)
- Sylke Meyer (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0001-3664-2545)
- Angela I. Barreda (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1090-6108)
- Zlata Fedorova (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4401-1978)
- Shubhagata Das (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0795-2752)
- Jasper van Wezel (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9378-008X)
- Nathalie Vermeulen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9676-0095)
- Aparna Parappurath (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0162-2923)
- Battulga Munkhbat (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1923-0960)
- Isabelle Staude (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8021-572X)
- Johanna Grönqvist (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8754-2501)
- F. Buatier de Mongeot (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8144-701X)
- Alexey Vladimirovich Ustinov (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1202-1787)
- Julien Barrier (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6484-2157)
- Lara Greten (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9796-3257)
- Benjamin Laudert
- Jeroen J. M. Sangers (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0007-1428-7355)
- Xuerong Hu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0009-4686-6575)
- TIMOTHY R. PARSONS
- Bingying You
- Chris Soukaras
- Farzaneh Bouzari
- Masha Ogienko
Institutions
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR)
- Vrije Universiteit Brussel (BE)
- Radboud University Nijmegen (NL)
- Tel Aviv University (IL)
- Institute of Photonic Sciences (ES)
- Utrecht University (NL)
- Institute for Atomic and Molecular Physics (NL)
- Ghent University (BE)
- Institut de Physique et Chimie des Matériaux de Strasbourg (FR)
- Technische Universität Berlin (DE)
- Université de Strasbourg (FR)
- University of Pennsylvania (US)
- University of Genoa (IT)
- University of Amsterdam (NL)
- Technical University of Denmark (DK)
- Aalto University (FI)
Publication Details
- Journal
- npj Nanophotonics
- Published
- 2025-12-03
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s44310-025-00092-3
- Citations
- 2
- Primary Topic
- 2D Materials and Applications
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 1.04
Funders
- European Commission
- Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
- Universiteit Leiden
- Universiteit van Amsterdam
- Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek
- Universiteit Gent