IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v16y2025i1d10.1038_s41467-025-58930-z.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Ultrafast energizing the parity-forbidden dark exciton in black phosphorus

Author

Listed:
  • Guangzhen Shen

    (University of Science and Technology of China
    University of Science and Technology of China)

  • Xirui Tian

    (University of Science and Technology of China
    University of Science and Technology of China)

  • Limin Cao

    (Wuhan University)

  • Hongli Guo

    (Zhejiang University)

  • Xintong Li

    (University of Science and Technology of China
    University of Science and Technology of China)

  • Yishu Tian

    (University of Science and Technology of China
    University of Science and Technology of China)

  • Xuefeng Cui

    (University of Science and Technology of China
    University of Science and Technology of China)

  • Min Feng

    (Wuhan University)

  • Jin Zhao

    (University of Science and Technology of China
    University of Science and Technology of China)

  • Bing Wang

    (University of Science and Technology of China
    University of Science and Technology of China)

  • Hrvoje Petek

    (University of Pittsburgh)

  • Shijing Tan

    (University of Science and Technology of China
    University of Science and Technology of China)

Abstract

As conventional electronic materials approach their physical limits, the application of ultrafast optical fields to access transient states of matter captures imagination. The inversion symmetry governs the optical parity selection rule, differentiating between accessible and inaccessible states of matter. To circumvent parity-forbidden transitions, the common practice is to break the inversion symmetry by material design or external fields. Here we report how the application of femtosecond ultraviolet pulses can energize a parity-forbidden dark exciton state in black phosphorus while maintaining its intrinsic material symmetry. Unlike its conventional bandgap absorption in visible-to-infrared, femtosecond ultraviolet excitation turns on efficient Coulomb scattering, promoting carrier multiplication and electronic heating to ~3000 K, and consequently populating its parity-forbidden states. Interferometric time- and angle-resolved two-photon photoemission spectroscopy reveals dark exciton dynamics of black phosphorus on ~100 fs time scale and its anisotropic wavefunctions in energy-momentum space, illuminating its potential applications in optoelectronics and photochemistry under ultraviolet optical excitation.

Suggested Citation

  • Guangzhen Shen & Xirui Tian & Limin Cao & Hongli Guo & Xintong Li & Yishu Tian & Xuefeng Cui & Min Feng & Jin Zhao & Bing Wang & Hrvoje Petek & Shijing Tan, 2025. "Ultrafast energizing the parity-forbidden dark exciton in black phosphorus," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-9, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-58930-z
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-58930-z
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-58930-z
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41467-025-58930-z?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Kai-Qiang Lin & Jonas D. Ziegler & Marina A. Semina & Javid V. Mamedov & Kenji Watanabe & Takashi Taniguchi & Sebastian Bange & Alexey Chernikov & Mikhail M. Glazov & John M. Lupton, 2022. "High-lying valley-polarized trions in 2D semiconductors," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-8, December.
    2. Jingsi Qiao & Xianghua Kong & Zhi-Xin Hu & Feng Yang & Wei Ji, 2014. "High-mobility transport anisotropy and linear dichroism in few-layer black phosphorus," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 5(1), pages 1-7, December.
    3. Shaohua Zhou & Changhua Bao & Benshu Fan & Hui Zhou & Qixuan Gao & Haoyuan Zhong & Tianyun Lin & Hang Liu & Pu Yu & Peizhe Tang & Sheng Meng & Wenhui Duan & Shuyun Zhou, 2023. "Pseudospin-selective Floquet band engineering in black phosphorus," Nature, Nature, vol. 614(7946), pages 75-80, February.
    4. Marcel Reutzel & Andi Li & Zehua Wang & Hrvoje Petek, 2020. "Coherent multidimensional photoelectron spectroscopy of ultrafast quasiparticle dressing by light," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 11(1), pages 1-5, December.
    5. Tianju Zhang & Chaocheng Zhou & Xuezhen Feng & Ningning Dong & Hong Chen & Xianfeng Chen & Long Zhang & Jia Lin & Jun Wang, 2022. "Regulation of the luminescence mechanism of two-dimensional tin halide perovskites," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-11, December.
    6. Ziliang Ye & Ting Cao & Kevin O’Brien & Hanyu Zhu & Xiaobo Yin & Yuan Wang & Steven G. Louie & Xiang Zhang, 2014. "Probing excitonic dark states in single-layer tungsten disulphide," Nature, Nature, vol. 513(7517), pages 214-218, September.
    7. Hyungjin Kim & Shiekh Zia Uddin & Der-Hsien Lien & Matthew Yeh & Nima Sefidmooye Azar & Sivacarendran Balendhran & Taehun Kim & Niharika Gupta & Yoonsoo Rho & Costas P. Grigoropoulos & Kenneth B. Croz, 2021. "Actively variable-spectrum optoelectronics with black phosphorus," Nature, Nature, vol. 596(7871), pages 232-237, August.
    8. Xingxia Cui & Ding Han & Hongli Guo & Linwei Zhou & Jingsi Qiao & Qing Liu & Zhihao Cui & Yafei Li & Chungwei Lin & Limin Cao & Wei Ji & Hrvoje Petek & Min Feng, 2019. "Realizing nearly-free-electron like conduction band in a molecular film through mediating intermolecular van der Waals interactions," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 10(1), pages 1-10, December.
    9. T. Kazimierczuk & D. Fröhlich & S. Scheel & H. Stolz & M. Bayer, 2014. "Giant Rydberg excitons in the copper oxide Cu2O," Nature, Nature, vol. 514(7522), pages 343-347, October.
    10. David Schmitt & Jan Philipp Bange & Wiebke Bennecke & AbdulAziz AlMutairi & Giuseppe Meneghini & Kenji Watanabe & Takashi Taniguchi & Daniel Steil & D. Russell Luke & R. Thomas Weitz & Sabine Steil & , 2022. "Formation of moiré interlayer excitons in space and time," Nature, Nature, vol. 608(7923), pages 499-503, August.
    11. Jianhui Fu & Qiang Xu & Guifang Han & Bo Wu & Cheng Hon Alfred Huan & Meng Lee Leek & Tze Chien Sum, 2017. "Hot carrier cooling mechanisms in halide perovskites," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 8(1), pages 1-9, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Shouheng Chen & Zihan Liang & Jinshui Miao & Xiang-Long Yu & Shuo Wang & Yule Zhang & Han Wang & Yun Wang & Chun Cheng & Gen Long & Taihong Wang & Lin Wang & Han Zhang & Xiaolong Chen, 2024. "Infrared optoelectronics in twisted black phosphorus," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-10, December.
    2. Changhua Bao & Michael Schüler & Teng Xiao & Fei Wang & Haoyuan Zhong & Tianyun Lin & Xuanxi Cai & Tianshuang Sheng & Xiao Tang & Hongyun Zhang & Pu Yu & Zhiyuan Sun & Wenhui Duan & Shuyun Zhou, 2024. "Manipulating the symmetry of photon-dressed electronic states," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-10, December.
    3. Leilei Ye & Xiaorong Gan & Romana Schirhagl, 2024. "Two-Dimensional MoS 2 -Based Photodetectors," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(22), pages 1-36, November.
    4. Junzhi Ye & Navendu Mondal & Ben P. Carwithen & Yunwei Zhang & Linjie Dai & Xiang-Bing Fan & Jian Mao & Zhiqiang Cui & Pratyush Ghosh & Clara Otero‐Martínez & Lars Turnhout & Yi-Teng Huang & Zhongzhen, 2024. "Extending the defect tolerance of halide perovskite nanocrystals to hot carrier cooling dynamics," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-11, December.
    5. Xuezhi Ma & Kaushik Kudtarkar & Yixin Chen & Preston Cunha & Yuan Ma & Kenji Watanabe & Takashi Taniguchi & Xiaofeng Qian & M. Cynthia Hipwell & Zi Jing Wong & Shoufeng Lan, 2022. "Coherent momentum control of forbidden excitons," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-9, December.
    6. Yijing Liu & Christopher Yang & Gabriel Gaertner & John Huckabee & Alexey V. Suslov & Gil Refael & Frederik Nathan & Cyprian Lewandowski & Luis E. F. Foa Torres & Iliya Esin & Paola Barbara & Nikolai , 2025. "Signatures of Floquet electronic steady states in graphene under continuous-wave mid-infrared irradiation," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-7, December.
    7. Xinyu Chen & Shuaihua Lu & Qian Chen & Qionghua Zhou & Jinlan Wang, 2024. "From bulk effective mass to 2D carrier mobility accurate prediction via adversarial transfer learning," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-9, December.
    8. Wenhao Ran & Zhihui Ren & Pan Wang & Yongxu Yan & Kai Zhao & Linlin Li & Zhexin Li & Lili Wang & Juehan Yang & Zhongming Wei & Zheng Lou & Guozhen Shen, 2021. "Integrated polarization-sensitive amplification system for digital information transmission," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-9, December.
    9. Shuaiqin Wu & Yan Chen & Xudong Wang & Hanxue Jiao & Qianru Zhao & Xinning Huang & Xiaochi Tai & Yong Zhou & Hao Chen & Xingjun Wang & Shenyang Huang & Hugen Yan & Tie Lin & Hong Shen & Weida Hu & Xia, 2022. "Ultra-sensitive polarization-resolved black phosphorus homojunction photodetector defined by ferroelectric domains," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-9, December.
    10. Lijia Li & Jiajun Chen & Laigui Hu & Zhijun Qiu & Zhuo Zou & Ran Liu & Lirong Zheng & Chunxiao Cong, 2025. "Moiré collective vibrations in atomically thin van der Waals superlattices," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-10, December.
    11. Juntao Zhang & Xiaozhi Liu & Yujin Ji & Xuerui Liu & Dong Su & Zhongbin Zhuang & Yu-Chung Chang & Chih-Wen Pao & Qi Shao & Zhiwei Hu & Xiaoqing Huang, 2023. "Atomic-thick metastable phase RhMo nanosheets for hydrogen oxidation catalysis," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-9, December.
    12. Riya Sebait & Roberto Rosati & Seok Joon Yun & Krishna P. Dhakal & Samuel Brem & Chandan Biswas & Alexander Puretzky & Ermin Malic & Young Hee Lee, 2023. "Sequential order dependent dark-exciton modulation in bi-layered TMD heterostructure," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-9, December.
    13. Tianhong Chen & Dongpeng Yan, 2024. "Full-color, time-valve controllable and Janus-type long-persistent luminescence from all-inorganic halide perovskites," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-13, December.
    14. Lei Xu & Junling Liu & Xinrui Guo & Shuo Liu & Xilin Lai & Jingyue Wang & Mengshi Yu & Zhengdao Xie & Hailin Peng & Xuming Zou & Xinran Wang & Ru Huang & Ming He, 2024. "Ultrasensitive dim-light neuromorphic vision sensing via momentum-conserved reconfigurable van der Waals heterostructure," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-11, December.
    15. Martin Bergen & Valentin Walther & Binodbihari Panda & Mariam Harati & Simon Siegeroth & Julian Heckötter & Marc Aßmann, 2023. "Large scale purification in semiconductors using Rydberg excitons," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-11, December.
    16. Hugo Henck & Diego Mauro & Daniil Domaretskiy & Marc Philippi & Shahriar Memaran & Wenkai Zheng & Zhengguang Lu & Dmitry Shcherbakov & Chun Ning Lau & Dmitry Smirnov & Luis Balicas & Kenji Watanabe & , 2022. "Light sources with bias tunable spectrum based on van der Waals interface transistors," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-8, December.
    17. E. Wang & J. D. Adelinia & M. Chavez-Cervantes & T. Matsuyama & M. Fechner & M. Buzzi & G. Meier & A. Cavalleri, 2023. "Superconducting nonlinear transport in optically driven high-temperature K3C60," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-6, December.
    18. Swagata Acharya & Dimitar Pashov & Cedric Weber & Mark Schilfgaarde & Alexander I. Lichtenstein & Mikhail I. Katsnelson, 2023. "A theory for colors of strongly correlated electronic systems," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-10, December.
    19. Yue Wang & Senyun Ye & Jia Wei Melvin Lim & David Giovanni & Minjun Feng & Jianhui Fu & Harish N S Krishnamoorthy & Qiannan Zhang & Qiang Xu & Rui Cai & Tze Chien Sum, 2023. "Carrier multiplication in perovskite solar cells with internal quantum efficiency exceeding 100%," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-9, December.
    20. Valerio Di Giulio & P. A. D. Gonçalves & F. Javier García de Abajo, 2022. "An image interaction approach to quantum-phase engineering of two-dimensional materials," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-8, December.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-58930-z. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.