Work

Can elemental selenium act as optical phase-change material? An insight into its optical behavior

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: This study investigates the optical properties of monochalcogenide selenium (Se) and assesses its potential as a nonvolatile optical phase-change material (PCM). By leveraging spectroscopic ellipsometry and Raman spectroscopy, this research demonstrates that Se can undergo reversible, optically induced transitions between amorphous and crystalline phases. Compared to widely used PCMs, such as Ge2Sb2Te5 (GST), Sb2S3, and Sb2Se3, Se exhibits lower melting and crystallization temperatures, indicating reduced energy requirements for phase switching, which could be indeed activated optically by green light irradiation. Optical characterization further reveals that Se combines a high refractive index contrast with minimal absorption losses in the near-infrared, particularly at telecom wavelengths. These properties make Se a promising candidate for low-loss, energy-efficient active photonic components and switching devices.

Source: Applied Physics Letters

DOI: 10.1063/5.0333841

Authors: Yael Gutiérrez, Maria Losurdo

Institutions: Universidad de Cantabria, Institute of Condensed Matter Chemistry and Technologies for Energy

Language: English

Topic: Phase-change materials and chalcogenides

Subfield: Materials Chemistry

Field: Materials Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Funders: Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades, European Commission

Awards: Active Optical Phase-Change Plasmonic Transdimensional Systems Enabling Femtojoule and Femtosecond Extreme Broadband Adaptive Reconfigurable Devices, NETWORKING CENTER FOR EXCELLENCE IN NANOELECTRONIC DEVICES FOR AIR MONITORING, G7363693742