Emerging Ta₄C₃ and Mo₂Ti₂C₃ MXene Nanosheets for Ultrafast Photonics

Ultrafast nonlinear optical (NLO) response, fast carrier recovery, broadband absorption, and resistance to radiation and heat make 2D materials promising for photonic technologies. However, low electronic conductivity and carrier concentration limit the performance of semiconducting or semimetallic materials. This work investigates the ultrafast NLO properties and carrier dynamics of Ta₄C₃T_x and out-of-plane ordered Mo₂Ti₂C₃T_x MXenes using Z-scan and pump-probe optical Kerr effect techniques under visible and infrared femtosecond laser pulses. Their NLO response surpasses all previously studied MXenes and most other 2D nanomaterials, attaining exceptionally high third-order susceptibility (χ⁽³⁾) values on the order of 10⁻¹³ esu. Mo₂Ti₂C₃T_x exhibits the strongest NLO response under both excitation regimes, attributed to charge transfer between Mo and Ti layers in the MXene structure. Under visible excitation, the studied MXenes display pronounced saturable absorption, while under infrared excitation, they exhibit strong reverse saturable absorption, resulting in efficient optical limiting. Additionally, pump-probe experiments identify two distinct relaxation processes: a fast one on the sub-picosecond timescale and a slower one a few picoseconds after photoexcitation. The results indicate that these MXenes are among the strongest NLO materials. They show their great potential for advanced photonic and optoelectronic applications in laser technologies, optical protection, telecommunications, and optical/quantum computing.