Nonlinear electromagnetic response of graphene: frequency multiplication and theself-consistent-field effects

Abstract

Graphene is a recently discovered carbon-based material with unique physical properties.This is a monolayer of graphite, and the two-dimensional electrons and holes in it aredescribed by the effective Dirac equation with a vanishing effective mass. As a consequence,the electromagnetic response of graphene is predicted to be strongly nonlinear. Wedevelop a quasi-classical kinetic theory of the nonlinear electromagnetic response ofgraphene, taking into account the self-consistent-field effects. The response ofthe system to both harmonic and pulse excitation is considered. The frequencymultiplication effect, resulting from the nonlinearity of the electromagnetic response,is studied under realistic experimental conditions. The frequency upconversionefficiency is analyzed as a function of the applied electric field and parameters of thesamples. Possible applications of graphene in terahertz electronics are discussed.