Enhancement of the Monolayer WS2 Exciton Photoluminescence with a 2D-Material/Air/GaP In-Plane Microcavity

Abstract: Light-matter interaction with two-dimensional materials gained significant attention in recent years leading to the reporting of weak and strong coupling regimes, and effective nano-laser operation with various structures. Particularly, future applications involving monolayer materials in waveguide-coupled on-chip integrated circuitry and valleytronic nanophotonics require controlling, directing and optimizing photoluminescence. In this context, photoluminescence enhancement from monolayer transition-metal dichalcogenides on patterned semiconducting substrates becomes attractive. It is demonstrated in our work using focussed-ion-beam-etched GaP and monolayer WS2 suspended on hexagonal-BN buffer sheets. We present a unique optical microcavity approach capable of both efficient in-plane and out-of-plane confinement of light, which results in a WS2 photoluminescence enhancement by a factor of 10 compared to the unstructured substrate at room temperature. The key concept is the combination of interference effects in both the horizontal direction using a bull's-eye-shaped circular Bragg grating and in vertical direction by means of a multiple reflection model with optimized etch depth of circular air-GaP structures for maximum constructive interference effects of the applied pump and expected emission light.