Monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides
(TMDs) are considered
promising building blocks for next-generation photonic and optoelectronic
devices, owing to their fascinating optical properties. However, their
inherent weak light absorption and low quantum yield severely hinder
their practical applications. Here, we report up to 18000-fold photoluminescence
(PL) enhancement in a monolayer WSe2-coupled plasmonic
nanocavity. A spectroscopy-assisted nanomanipulation technique enables
the assembly of a nanocavity with customizable resonances to simultaneously
enhance the excitation and emission processes. In particular, precise
control over the magnetic cavity mode facilitates spectral and spatial
overlap with the exciton, resulting in plasmon–exciton intermediate
coupling that approaches the maximum emission rate in the hybrid system.
Meanwhile, the cavity mode exhibits high radiation directivity, which
overwhelmingly directs surface-normal PL emission and leads to a 17-fold
increase in the collection efficiency. Our approach opens up a new
avenue to enhance the PL intensity of monolayer TMDs, facilitating
their implementation in highly efficient optoelectronic devices.