This research was highlighted by CHIP magazine:
https://www.chip.pl/2026/03/polscy-naukowcy-fotonika-swiatlo-w-cienkiej-warstwie

As part of a project let by the University of Warsaw in which The Institute of Physics (IF PAN) was a partnerthe first experimental observation of optical bound states in the continuum in subwavelength gratings made of epitaxial molybdenum diselenide (MoSe2) was achieved. Due to the exceptionally high refractive index of this material (n≈4.4 in the near-infrared spectral range) and the strong energy confinement in BIC states, more than a thousandfold enhancement of third-harmonic generation (THG) efficiency was demonstrated compared to an unstructured layer. This achievement, presented in ACS Nano, is a breakthrough in nonlinear nanophotonics and opens the way to the development of ultra-compact lasers and modulators based on van der Waals materials.

The contribution of the Institute of Physics of the Polish Academy of Sciences was essential to the project’s success and consisted of the fabrication of unique nanostructures (metamaterials) using electron-beam lithography. The IF PAN team participated in the production of periodic subwavelength gratings with a period of approximately 500 nm and a filling factor of 0.8. Nanometer-scale precision enabled the achievement of high-Q-factor resonances, which was essential for the experimental verification of theoretical predictions and for fully exploiting the optical potential of the designed structures.