arXiv subjects

Clara Clemente-Marcuello

Publications and source records attributed to Clara Clemente-Marcuello.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Launching of Visible-Range Hyperbolic Polaritons by Gold Nanoantennas in a natural van der Waals crystal

Anisotropic van der Waals materials provide a powerful platform for nanoscale optoelectronics, enabling strong light$-$matter interaction and deep electromagnetic field confinement mediated by polaritons, hybrid light$-$matter excitations with unique dispersion properties. While polaritonic phenomena in van der Waals heterostructures have been extensively explored in the mid-infrared frequency range, their behaviour at the visible frequencies remains largely unexplored, in part due to the lack of knowledge on natural materials supporting anisotropic and highly confined visible-range polaritons. In this context, MoOCl$_2$, an anisotropic van der Waals metal, is particularly interesting, since it supports hyperbolic plasmon polaritons (PPs) that enable directional propagation and subwavelength light compression. Here, we investigate the strategy for launching anisotropic PPs in MoOCl$_2$ in the visible frequency range using gold rod nanoantennas. The nanoantennas, placed on top of the MoOCl$_2$ crystal, excite in-plane anisotropic PP modes, effectively overcoming the momentum mismatch between waves in free-space and nanoscale PPs. We demonstrate a strong electromagnetic field confinement, angle-dependent absorption, and controlled anisotropic PP launching enabled by gold nanoantennas, highlighting the potential of MoOCl$_2$ as a compact platform for nanoscale waveguiding and optical signal processing. By providing a practical antenna-based strategy for exciting visible-range PPs, this work addresses the lack of compact elements for optical signal manipulation and opens new opportunities for optoelectronic devices based on van der Waals polaritonics.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2026

MoOCl$_2$ as a Hyperbolic Planar Platform for Nanooptics at Telecom Frequencies

On-chip optoelectronics is fundamental to modern telecommunication, yet the diffraction limit of light remains a major obstacle to the extreme miniaturization of photonic integrated circuits (PICs). Hyperbolic polaritons (HPs) $-$ hybrid light-matter excitations in materials with opposite-signed dielectric permittivity tensor components $-$ offer a solution through their ability to support deep sub-wavelength confinement and unique optical phenomena such as canalization and negative refraction. To date, however, the most widely studied hyperbolic van der Waals (vdW) crystals, including hBN and $α$-MoO$_3$, operate mainly in the mid-infrared, leaving the telecommunication bands (1260$-$1675 nm) largely uncovered. Here, we predict HPs operating directly in the telecommunication window in the vdW crystal molybdenum oxychloride (MoOCl$_2$). Building on recent evidence that MoOCl$_2$ can support plasmon polaritons in the visible, we theoretically investigate its optical response at telecom wavelengths and identify the conditions under which strongly confined, canalized HPs modes emerge. Beyond establishing a telecom platform, we outline device-level opportunities enabled by these modes, including diffraction-free waveguides based on canalization, tunable polaritonic crystals, and high-efficiency spontaneous emission-enhancement platforms. These paradigms cover the essential pillars of on-chip information processing: emission, propagation, modulation and detection. Our results establish MoOCl$_2$ as a potentially transformative material that bridges physics of hyperbolic PPs with potential practical implementations, opening avenues for ultra-compact, high-density, and low-power photonic components.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2025

Explosive adoption of corrupt behaviors in social systems with higher-order interactions

Human behaviors in social systems are often shaped by group pressure and collective norms, especially since the rise of social media platforms. However, in the context of adopting misbehaviors, most existing contagion models rely on pairwise interactions and thus fail to capture group-level dynamics. To fill this gap, we introduce a higher-order extension of the Honesty-Corruption-Ostracism (HCO) model to study the emergence of systemic corruption in populations where individuals interact through group structures. The model incorporates contagion-like transitions mediated by hyperedges of arbitrary order, capturing the influence of peer pressure in group settings. Analytical and numerical results show that higher-order interactions induce discontinuous (explosive) transitions between fully honest and fully corrupt regimes, separated by a bistable phase. This abrupt behavior disappears in the pairwise limit, highlighting the destabilizing effect of group interactions. Furthermore, we establish a general correspondence between our model and broader classes of social contagion dynamics with symmetry breaking, recovering previous results as limiting cases. These findings underscore the critical role of higher-order structure in shaping behavioral adoption processes and the stability of social systems.

physics.soc-ph↗