MXenes for Photonics

The diverse family of two-dimensional (2D) carbides, nitrides, and carbonitrides of early transition metals called “MXenes” has been quickly growing, exhibiting excellent optical, electronic, and mechanical properties. Recently, many attractive characteristics of MXenes have been demonstrated, including plasmonic behavior, optical nonlinearities, and highly efficient photothermal conversion, enabling their successful utilization in a variety of optical and optoelectronic devices. In this article, we provide an overview of selected optical phenomena and related device applications of MXenes, such as plasmonics, photothermal effects, ultrafast optics, and nonlinear optics. We also provide a perspective on future research directions for realizing the full potential of MXenes for photonic applications. With the versatility of available compositions and their exceptional optical properties, MXenes have the potential to facilitate development of many novel tunable nanophotonic devices.