Fundamental Limits to the Coupling between Light and 2D Polaritons by Small Scatterers

Polaritonic modes in two-dimensional van der Waals materials display short in-plane wavelengths compared with light in free space. As interesting as this may look from both fundamental and applied viewpoints, such large confinement is accompanied by poor in/out optical coupling, which severely limits the application of polaritons in practical devices. Here, we quantify the coupling strength between light and 2D polaritons in both homogeneous and anisotropic films using accurate rigorous analytical methods. In particular, we obtain universal expressions for the cross sections associated with photon–polariton coupling by point and line defects, as well as with polariton extinction and scattering processes. Additionally, we find closed-form constraints that limit the maximum possible values of these cross sections. Specifically, the maximum photon-to-plasmon conversion efficiency in graphene is ∼10–6 and ∼10–4 for point and line scatterers sitting at its surface, respectively, when the plasmon and Fermi energies are comparable in magnitude. We further show that resonant particles placed at an optimum distance from the film can boost light-to-polariton coupling to order unity. Our results bear fundamental interest for the development of 2D polaritonics and the design of applications based on these excitations.