Canalized hyperbolic magnetoexciton polaritons enabled by the Shubnikov-de Haas effect in van der Waals semiconductors

Abstract

Polariton canalization exhibits highly collimated and diffraction-free propagation characteristics in natural hyperbolic materials, holding great promise for molding the energy flow at nanoscale. Previously, the majority of canalizations are realized in phonon polaritons. Herein, we theoretically explore hyperbolic magnetoexciton polaritons (HMEPs) in van der Waals crystals of WTe2, MoS2, and phosphorene. Based on the Shubnikov-de Haas effect, canalized HMEPs with ultralow group velocity (~10-5c) and super-long lifetime (hundreds of microseconds) are predicted at low temperatures. We also show that the inter-Landau-level transitions and non-local dielectric screening effect significantly modify the optical topologies of canalized HMEPs, manifested by various exotic isofrequency contours (IFCs) including hyperbolic, witch-of-Agnesi, one-sheet, two-fold, and twisted pincerlike IFCs. Our findings reveal the significant effects of magneto-optical transport on hyperbolic polaritons, which not only enrich the interplay mechanism between magnetics and polaritonics, but also provide a promising playground for future developments in hyperbolic materials.