Preprint
Tailoring phonon-driven responses in α-MoO3 through isotopic enrichment
ArXiv.org
Cornell University
01/05/2026
DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2601.02570
Abstract
The implementation of polaritonic materials into nanoscale devices requires selective tuning of parameters to realize desired spectral or thermal responses. One robust material is α-MoO3, which as an orthorhombic crystal boasts three distinct phonon dispersions, providing three polaritonic dispersions of hyperbolic phonon polaritons (HPhPs) across the mid-infrared (MIR). Here, the tunability of both optical and thermal responses in isotopically enriched α-MoO3 (98MoO3, Mo18O3 and 98Mo18O3) are explored. A uniform ~5 % spectral redshift from 18O enrichment is observed in both Raman- and IR-active TO phonons. Both the in- and out-of-plane thermal conductivities for the isotopic variations are reported. Ab initio calculations both replicate experimental findings and analyze the select-mode three-phonon scattering contributions. The HPhPs from each isotopic variation are probed with s-SNOM and their Q- factors are reported. A Q-factor maxima increase of ~50 % along the [100] in the RB2 and ~100 % along the [001] in the RB3 are reported for HPhPs supported in 98Mo18O3. Observations in both real and Fourier space of higher-order HPhP modes propagating in single slabs of isotopically enriched α-MoO3 without the use of a subdiffractional surface scatterer are presented here. This work illustrates the tunability of α-MoO3 for thermal and nanophotonic applications.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Tailoring phonon-driven responses in α-MoO3 through isotopic enrichment
- Creators
- Thiago S ArnaudRyan W SpanglerJohnathan D GeorgarasJonah B HaberDaniel HirtMaximilian ObstGonzalo Álvarez-PérezMackey Long IIIFelix G KapsJakob WetzelCourtney RagleJohn E BuchnerYoungji KimAditha S SenarathRicharda NiemannMingze HeGiulia CariniUnai Arregui-LeonAkash C BeheraRamachandra BangariNihar SahooNiels C BrumbyJ. Michael KlopfMartin WolfLukas M EngSusanne C KehrThomas G FollandAlexander PaarmannPatrick E HopkinsFelipe JornadaJon-Paul MariaJoshua D Caldwell
- Resource Type
- Preprint
- Publication Details
- ArXiv.org
- DOI
- 10.48550/arxiv.2601.02570
- ISSN
- 2331-8422
- Publisher
- Cornell University; Ithaca, New York
- Language
- English
- Date posted
- 01/05/2026
- Academic Unit
- Physics and Astronomy
- Record Identifier
- 9985116168902771
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