Programmable Optical Encryption Based on Electrical-Field-Controlled Exciton-Trion Transitions in Monolayer WS 2

• Published in: ACS applied materials & interfaces Vol. 16; no. 31; pp. 41099 - 41106
• Main Authors: Wang, Hu, Zhang, Zheng, Huang, Wentao, Chen, Penghao, He, Yaping, Ming, Ziyu, Wang, Yue, Cheng, Zengguang, Shen, Jiabin, Zhang, Zengxing
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 07.08.2024
• Subjects: information security; two-dimensional crystal; metal-oxide-semiconductor device; optical encryption; exciton–trion transitions
• ISSN: 1944-8244; 1944-8252
• DOI: 10.1021/acsami.4c06020

Optical encryption is receiving much attention with the rapid growth of information technology. Conventional optical encryption usually relies on specific configurations, such as metasurface-based holograms and structure colors, not meeting the requirements of increasing dynamic and programmable encryption. Here, we report a programmable optical encryption approach using WS /SiO /Au metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) devices, which is based on the electrical-field-controlled exciton-trion transitions in monolayer WS . The modulation depth of the MOS device reflection amplitude up to 25% related to the excitons ensures the fidelity of information, and the decryption based on the near excitonic resonance assures security. With such devices, we successfully demonstrate their applications in real-time encryption of ASCII codes and visual images. For the latter, it can be implemented at the pixel level. The strategy shows significant potential for low-cost, low-energy-consumption, easily integrated, and high-security programmable optical encryptions.