Ubiquitous Antiparallel Domains in 2D Hexagonal Boron Nitride Uncovered by Interferometric Nonlinear Optical Imaging

Abstract

Hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) supports a wide range of 2D technologies, yet assessing its crystalline quality over large areas remains a fundamental challenge. Both antiparallel domains, an intrinsic outcome of epitaxy on high-symmetry substrates, and associated structural defects have long evaded optical detection. Here, we show that interferometric second-harmonic generation (SHG) imaging provides a powerful, non-destructive probe of lattice orientation and structural integrity in 2D hBN grown by chemical vapor deposition. This approach reveals the ubiquitous formation of antiparallel domains and quantifies their impact on crystalline order. SHG intensity also emerges as a direct optical metric of domain disorder, spanning three orders of magnitude across films produced by ten different growth routes. Correlation with Raman spectroscopy establishes a unified framework for evaluating crystalline quality. Beyond hBN, this method offers a high-throughput route to wide-area structural imaging in various non-centrosymmetric materials, advancing their deployment in electronics, photonics, and quantum technologies.