Mid-infrared Assisted THz Phonon Amplification in a 2D Semiconductor for Room Temperature Detection

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Main Authors: Sumner, Christopher, Ziewer, Jakob, Sajan, Anju, Huang, Fumin, Chikkaraddy, Rohit
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
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_version_ 1866911685909938176
author Sumner, Christopher
Ziewer, Jakob
Sajan, Anju
Huang, Fumin
Chikkaraddy, Rohit
author_facet Sumner, Christopher
Ziewer, Jakob
Sajan, Anju
Huang, Fumin
Chikkaraddy, Rohit
contents Efficient and selective excitation of lattice vibrations is central to controlling energy flow at the nanoscale, yet remains challenging under conventional optical excitation. Here, we introduce a mid-infrared-assisted phonon amplification approach, termed MIRAPA, that enables efficient energy injection directly into vibrational bonds. Using surface-enhanced resonant Raman scattering in few-layer $\mathrm{MoS_2}$, we exploit strong exciton--phonon coupling to monitor phonon populations. When mid-infrared (MIR) light is introduced, it couples directly to out-of-plane lattice vibrations, leading to room-temperature phonon amplification exceeding $80\%$. Crucially, MIRAPA bypasses electronic excitation pathways, allowing the MIR power density to be nearly $300\times$ lower than that required for visible excitation to achieve comparable enhancement. The resulting phonon modulation is robust, persisting over more than $2800$ on/off cycles and exceeding $15$ hours of continuous-wave laser illumination without degradation. Quantitative analysis yields an effective noise-equivalent power of approximately $0.3\,\mathrm{nW}/\sqrt{\mathrm{Hz}}$ for MIR detection, highlighting the sensitivity of the approach. By combining vibrational selectivity, low-power operation, and long-term stability, MIRAPA provides a robust platform for probing and amplifying phonons in two-dimensional semiconductors. These results open new opportunities for nanoscale vibrational sensing, mid-infrared detection, and phonon-based coherent devices, including routes toward phonon lasing.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2605_15123
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Mid-infrared Assisted THz Phonon Amplification in a 2D Semiconductor for Room Temperature Detection
Sumner, Christopher
Ziewer, Jakob
Sajan, Anju
Huang, Fumin
Chikkaraddy, Rohit
Applied Physics
Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics
Optics
Efficient and selective excitation of lattice vibrations is central to controlling energy flow at the nanoscale, yet remains challenging under conventional optical excitation. Here, we introduce a mid-infrared-assisted phonon amplification approach, termed MIRAPA, that enables efficient energy injection directly into vibrational bonds. Using surface-enhanced resonant Raman scattering in few-layer $\mathrm{MoS_2}$, we exploit strong exciton--phonon coupling to monitor phonon populations. When mid-infrared (MIR) light is introduced, it couples directly to out-of-plane lattice vibrations, leading to room-temperature phonon amplification exceeding $80\%$. Crucially, MIRAPA bypasses electronic excitation pathways, allowing the MIR power density to be nearly $300\times$ lower than that required for visible excitation to achieve comparable enhancement. The resulting phonon modulation is robust, persisting over more than $2800$ on/off cycles and exceeding $15$ hours of continuous-wave laser illumination without degradation. Quantitative analysis yields an effective noise-equivalent power of approximately $0.3\,\mathrm{nW}/\sqrt{\mathrm{Hz}}$ for MIR detection, highlighting the sensitivity of the approach. By combining vibrational selectivity, low-power operation, and long-term stability, MIRAPA provides a robust platform for probing and amplifying phonons in two-dimensional semiconductors. These results open new opportunities for nanoscale vibrational sensing, mid-infrared detection, and phonon-based coherent devices, including routes toward phonon lasing.
title Mid-infrared Assisted THz Phonon Amplification in a 2D Semiconductor for Room Temperature Detection
topic Applied Physics
Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics
Optics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.15123