Recent progress of near-field studies of two-dimensional polaritonics

Abstract

Due to the capability of nanoscale manipulation of photons and tunability of light-matter interaction, polaritonics has attracted much attention in the modern physics. Compared with traditional noble metals, two-dimensional van der Waals materials provide an ideal platform for polaritons with high confinement and tunability. Recently, the development of scanning near-field optical microscopy has revealed various polaritons, thereby paving the way for further studying the quantum physics and nano-photonics. In this review paper, we summarize the new developments in two-dimensional polaritonics by near-field optical approach. According to the introduction of near-field optics and its basic principle, we show several important directions in near-field developments of two-dimensional polaritonics, including plasmon polaritons, phonon polaritons, exciton polaritons, hybridized polaritons, etc. In the final part, we give the perspectives in development of near-field optics.