Electrically controllable chiral light source Potential applications in 3D displays and quantum computing

All kinds of light consist of the superposition of right-handed and left-handed circularly polarized light. Circularly polarized sources are not only utilized in present technology such as 3D displays which offers depth perception to viewers, but also expected to play an important role in quantum computation. However, current processes to generate and control polarization are difficult to miniaturize and control electrically.

© 2014 Yijin Zhang.
Three-terminal device, which emits electrically switchable circular polarized light.
Professor Yoshihiro Iwasa from the Quantum-Phase Electronics Center in the University of Tokyo, who also leads a research group in RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science, has demonstrated an electrically switchable circularly polarized light source using field effect transistor (FET) device structure with tungsten diselenide (WSe2), which is now attracting a great interest as a new atomic material. This work was done in collaboration with the groups of Dr. Oka from the Department of Applied Physics in the University of Tokyo and Associate Professor Jianting Ye from the University of Groningen, the Netherlands.
Electrically switchable circularly polarized light sources are long-sought devices for 3D displays and as an information carrier in quantum computation. Such devices have been enthusiastically investigated using both materials science and photonics approaches. In this research, the researchers proposed and experimentally demonstrated electrical switching between right-handed and left-handed circularly polarized light emission based on a unique crystal structure and electronic states of WSe2, combined with high FET operation.
Paper
Yijin Zhang, Takashi Oka, Ryuji Suzuki, Jianting Ye, Yoshihiro Iwasa,
“Electrically Switchable Chiral Light-Emitting Transistor”,
Science Online Edition: 2014/4/18, doi: 10.1126/science.1251329.
Article link
Links
Graduate School of Engineering
Department of Applied Physics, Graduate School of Engineering
Quantum-Phase Electronics Center, Graduate School of Engineering
Iwasa Laboratory, Department of Applied Physics, Graduate School of Engineering