Skip to content
DraconiticResearch
Search Sources API
201,818 studies31 sourcesUpdated 13 min ago
Peer-reviewedCC BYNature communications

Nano-wrinkle waveguides for programmable polariton channeling.

  • Liyan Wang1
  • Bei Yang2
  • Tian Sun3
  • Cheng Luo1
  • Yuchuan Xiao1
  • Qizhi Yan3
  • Weikang Lu4
  • Ziyi Xu4
  • Zhenghua An4
  • Wei Lu5
  • Xingxing Jiang6
  • Debo Hu7
3 more authors
  • Andrea Alù8,9
  • Peining Li10,11
  • Qing Dai12
12 affiliations
  1. 1CAS Key Laboratory of Standardization and Measurement for Nanotechnology, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, China.
  2. 2School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
  3. 3School of Optical and Electronic Information, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
  4. 4Department of Physics, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
  5. 5School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China.
  6. 6Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
  7. 7CAS Key Laboratory of Standardization and Measurement for Nanotechnology, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, China. [email protected].
  8. 8Advanced Science Research Center, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA. [email protected].
  9. 9Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA. [email protected].
  10. 10School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China. [email protected].
  11. 11School of Optical and Electronic Information, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China. [email protected].
  12. 12School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China. [email protected].
Read full textPDFDOICite

Abstract

The intrinsic planarity of two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals (vdW) polaritonic media inherently limits the lateral confinement of vdW polaritons. Here, we transcend this geometric limit by introducing a deterministic strategy to engineer non-planar nano-wrinkle waveguides in hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) via controlled thermal buckling. By exploiting the thermal expansion features of a calcite substrate, we generate uniaxial stress during cooling, which naturally forms high-curvature wrinkles in the overlying hBN superstrate. These wrinkles function as reconfigurable channel waveguides, guiding polaritons along predefined paths, and nano-hole patterning of such heterostructures offers programmable routing. Cryogenic near-field imaging and simulations reveal a wrinkle-guided polariton mode with a wavevector and dispersion governed by the wrinkle geometry and distinct from substrate-supported branches. Their hybridization allows precise tuning of modal confinement via hBN thickness variation. Concurrently, these structures guide polariton-mediated heat flow, establishing a medium-free mechanism for nanoscale thermal management. More broadly, our approach establishes a universal route for the geometric control of light and heat in two-dimensional materials.

Related

  1. Neural Networks with Exciton-Polariton Waveguides
    Huawen Xu, Ruiqi Bao, Lingyu Tian +5
    arXivPreprintCC BY 4.0Full textCondensed matterarXiv
  2. A programmable platform for the study of active wrinkle patterns and cell migration directed by dynamic curvotaxis
    Khoa Dang Cao, Ismail Tahmaz, Hung Quoc Tran +13
    Cell Reports Physical SciencePeer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Full textGeneral biologyGeneral physicsHAL
  3. Exciton-Tunable Phase Control and Superstrong Coupling Through Multimode Polariton Engineering in Planar Waveguides
    Johannes Bürger, Erika Cortese, Simone Di Muzio +3
    arXivPreprintCC BY 4.0Full textOptics & photonicsarXiv
  4. Programmable nonlinearity within nanophotonic waveguides
    Benjamin A. Ash, Ryotatsu Yanagimoto, Mandar M. Sohoni +8
    arXivPreprintarXiv licenceFull textApplied physics & instrumentationOptics & photonicsarXiv
  5. Enhancement of axial magnetic field generation during relativistic self-channeling of laser radiation propagating along thin films
    Vitalia A. Kuleshova, Artem V. Korzhimanov
    arXivPreprintCC BY 4.0Full textPlasma physicsarXiv

Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{wang2026nanowrinkle,
  title = {{Nano-wrinkle waveguides for programmable polariton channeling.}},
  author = {Liyan Wang and Bei Yang and Tian Sun and Cheng Luo and Yuchuan Xiao and Qizhi Yan and Weikang Lu and Ziyi Xu and Zhenghua An and Wei Lu and Xingxing Jiang and Debo Hu and Andrea Alù and Peining Li and Qing Dai},
  journal = {Nature communications},
  year = {2026},
  month = sep,
  doi = {10.1038/s41467-026-77593-y},
  url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42893973},
  note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Nano-wrinkle waveguides for programmable polariton channeling.
AU  - Liyan Wang
AU  - Bei Yang
AU  - Tian Sun
AU  - Cheng Luo
AU  - Yuchuan Xiao
AU  - Qizhi Yan
AU  - Weikang Lu
AU  - Ziyi Xu
AU  - Zhenghua An
AU  - Wei Lu
AU  - Xingxing Jiang
AU  - Debo Hu
AU  - Andrea Alù
AU  - Peining Li
AU  - Qing Dai
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/09/17
JO  - Nature communications
DO  - 10.1038/s41467-026-77593-y
UR  - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42893973
AB  - The intrinsic planarity of two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals (vdW) polaritonic media inherently limits the lateral confinement of vdW polaritons. Here, we transcend this geometric limit by introducing a deterministic strategy to engineer non-planar nano-wrinkle waveguides in hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) via controlled thermal buckling. By exploiting the thermal expansion features of a calcite substrate, we generate uniaxial stress during cooling, which naturally forms high-curvature wrinkles in the overlying hBN superstrate. These wrinkles function as reconfigurable channel waveguides, guiding polaritons along predefined paths, and nano-hole patterning of such heterostructures offers programmable routing. Cryogenic near-field imaging and simulations reveal a wrinkle-guided polariton mode with a wavevector and dispersion governed by the wrinkle geometry and distinct from substrate-supported branches. Their hybridization allows precise tuning of modal confinement via hBN thickness variation. Concurrently, these structures guide polariton-mediated heat flow, establishing a medium-free mechanism for nanoscale thermal management. More broadly, our approach establishes a universal route for the geometric control of light and heat in two-dimensional materials.
SN  - 2041-1723
ER  -