Abstract
The first nonlinear-optical experiments with graphene date back over a decade, and a wide range of research breakthroughs has been reported since then, particularly on the third-order nonlinearities of the material. Graphene has been shown to exhibit extraordinary saturable absorption properties as well as extremely strong nonlinear refraction effects, both of which hold promise for practical use in nonlinear-optical devices. In this Perspective, after providing a very brief overview of the state of the art, I elaborate on the most relevant material parameters for future research and development activities in this domain, while also highlighting specific features of graphene’s linear and nonlinear-optical properties that are sometimes overlooked in experiments. Finally, I present my view on what the opportunities and remaining challenges are in the practical exploitation of graphene for nonlinear-optical applications.
Highlights
Graphene is seen as one of the most revolutionary new materials of this century
Its third-order nonlinear-optical response—the lowest-order optical nonlinearity that is allowed in inversion symmetric materials, such as graphene—has been shown to be very pronounced (Yamashita, 2019; You et al, 2019)
I present my view on the opportunities and remaining challenges in the practical exploitation of graphene for nonlinear-optical applications
Summary
Graphene is seen as one of the most revolutionary new materials of this century. The first successful isolation of a truly twodimensional layer of carbon atoms in 2004 (Novoselov et al, 2004) represented a full-fledged paradigm shift in material science and many other research disciplines, including optics and photonics (Bonaccorso et al, 2010). The linear absorption of intrinsic, i.e., undoped, graphene for perpendicularly incident light equals 2.3%, a remarkably large value for a material just one atom thick. Its third-order nonlinear-optical response—the lowest-order optical nonlinearity that is allowed in inversion symmetric materials, such as graphene—has been shown to be very pronounced (Yamashita, 2019; You et al, 2019). This Perspective focuses on the third-order nonlinear optics of graphene, which comprises both absorptive and refractive processes. I present my view on the opportunities and remaining challenges in the practical exploitation of graphene for nonlinear-optical applications
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