Linear and Nonlinear Optical Properties of Graphene: A Review

Abstract

This article gives a brief overview of the linear and nonlinear optical response of graphene and its applications. Graphene exhibits unique physical properties. The charge carriers in graphene follow the relativistic massless Dirac equation; thus, they are known as the Dirac fermions. These Dirac fermions in graphene exhibit peculiar linear band structure at the Dirac point in the first Brillouin zone. These carriers exhibit novel linear and nonlinear optical properties in the presence of an intense electromagnetic field. The unique optical properties (linear and nonlinear) are a consequence of the unusual low-energy electronic band structure of graphene. The linear and nonlinear optical response of graphene can be tuned in the terahertz regime by the application of magnetic field. The uniqueness of graphene is shown by different findings in nonlinear optics such as four-wave mixing, saturation and reverse saturation absorption, two-photon absorption and optical limiting, among others. Therefore, the present review article describes the recent development in the field of linear and nonlinear optics of graphene. The different applications of graphene in the context of optics have been highlighted.