Graphene-based Photonic Devices Research Articles

Characterizing and controlling infrared phonon anomaly of bilayer graphene in optical-electrical force nanoscopy

We, for the first time, report the nanoscopic imaging study of anomalous infrared (IR) phonon enhancement of bilayer graphene, originated from the charge imbalance between the top and bottom layers, resulting in the enhancement of E1u mode of bilayer graphene near 0.2 eV. We modified the multifrequency atomic force microscope platform to combine photo-induced force microscope with electrostatic/Kelvin probe force microscope constituting a novel hybrid nanoscale optical-electrical force imaging system. This enables to observe a correlation between the IR response, doping level, and topographic information of the graphene layers. Through the nanoscale spectroscopic image measurements, we demonstrate that the charge imbalance at the graphene interface can be controlled by chemical (doping effect via Redox mechanism) and mechanical (triboelectric effect by the doped cantilever) approaches. Moreover, we can also diagnosis the subsurface cracks on the stacked few-layer graphene at nanoscale, by monitoring the strain-induced IR phonon shift. Our approach provides new insights into the development of graphene-based electronic and photonic devices and their potential applications.

Transmission and Reflection Spectra of a Bragg Microcavity Filled with a Periodic Graphene-Containing Structure

The transmission and reflection spectra of a one-dimensional microresonator structure with dielectric Bragg mirrors, the working cavity of which is filled with several “dielectric-graphene” or “semiconductor-graphene” periods with controlled material parameters, were obtained using transfer matrices and numerical methods. Carrier drift in graphene monolayers is created to achieve amplification, which makes it possible to use the hydrodynamic approximation to represent graphene conductivity in the terahertz range. The transformation of spectra is achieved both by changing the energy state of the graphene monolayers and by changing the external magnetic field. It is shown that amplification is observed in the region where the real part of the conductivity is negative as the chemical potential (Fermi energy) increases, and the coefficients T and R become substantially greater than unity. The results of the work may be of interest to developers of graphene-based controlled photonic devices.

Tunable multistate terahertz switch based on multilayered graphene metamaterial

We proposed plasmonic effect-based narrow band tunable terahertz switches consisting of multilayered graphene metamaterial. Though several terahertz optical switches based on metamaterials were previously reported, these switches had complicated fabrication processes, limited tunability, and low modulation depths. We designed and simulated ingenious four- and eight-state terahertz optical switch designs that can be functional for multimode communication or imaging using the finite-difference time-domain simulation technique. The plasmonic bright modes and transparency regions of these structures were adjusted by varying the chemical potential of patterned graphene layers via applying voltage in different layers. The structures exhibited high modulation depth and modulation degree of frequency, low insertion loss, high spectral contrast ratio, narrow bandwidth, and high polarization sensitivity. Moreover, our proposed simple fabrication process will make these structures more feasible compared to previously reported terahertz switches. The calculated modulation depths were 98.81% and 98.71%, and the maximum modulation degree of frequencies were $$\sim$$ 61% and $$\sim$$ 29.1% for four- and eight-state terahertz switches, respectively. The maximum transmittance in transparency regions between bright modes and the spectral contrast ratio were enumerated to be 95.9% and $$\sim$$ 96%, respectively. The maximum insertion losses were quite low with values of 0.22 dB and 0.33 dB for four- and eight-state terahertz switches, respectively. Our findings will be beneficial in the development of ultra-thin graphene-based multistate photonic devices for digital switching and sensing in the terahertz regime.

Origin of Tearing Paths in Transferred Graphene by H2 Bubbling Process and Improved Transfer of T ear-Free Graphene Films U sing a H eat Press

Among efforts to improve techniques for the chemical vapor deposition of large-area and high-quality graphene films on transition metal substrates, being able to reliably transfer these atomistic membranes onto the desired substrate is a critical step for various practical uses, such as graphene-based electronic and photonic devices. However, the most used approach, the wet etching transfer process based on the complete etching of metal substrates, remains a great challenge. This is mainly due to the inevitable damage to the graphene, unintentional contamination of the graphene layer, and increased production cost and time. Here, we report the systematic study of an H2 bubbling-assisted transfer technique for graphene films grown on Cu foils, which is nondestructive not only to the graphene film but also to the Cu substrate. Also, we demonstrate the origin of the graphene film tearing phenomenon induced by this H2 bubbling-assisted transfer process. This study reveals that inherent features are produced by rolling Cu foil, which cause a saw-like corrugation in the poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)/graphene stack when it is transferred onto the target substrate after the Cu foil is dissolved. During the PMMA removal stage, the graphene tearing mainly appears at the apexes of the corrugated PMMA/graphene stack, due to weak adhesion to the target substrate. To address this, we have developed a modified heat-press-assisted transfer technique that has much better control of both tearing and the formation of residues in the transferred graphene films.

Ultra-narrow-band absorption enhancement of monolayer graphene based on surface lattice resonance modes

AbstarctAn ultra-narrow-band perfect absorber based on collective resonances in an Ag nanoring period array is theoretically proposed for the absorption enhancement of monolayer graphene, where the absorptivity can reach as high as 99.4% with the full-width-half-maximum as narrow as 3.6 nm in the visible band. This outstanding absorptive characteristic can be attributed to the excitation of surface lattice resonance modes by Ag nanoring periodic array. The as-designed structure possesses high refractive-index sensitivity, reaching 557.9 nm RIU−1 with its figure of merit attaining 155 RIU−1. This work provides promising guidance for developing high-performance graphene-based photonic devices.

Metamaterial wide-angle dual-band absorber with graphene surface

A metamaterial dual-band absorber (DBA) is designed based on a dual-ridge array with graphene. The proposed structure is capable of achieving perfect absorption at 1130 nm and 1688 nm (both absorption efficiencies exceed 99%). The absorption mechanism of the DBA and the effect of non-normal incidence under different structural parameters on the absorption characteristic of the DBA are systematically analyzed by using finite element method (FEM) and the equivalent circuit model. The results show that the DBA is insensitive to the incidence angle, where absorption efficiencies of both resonance peaks can remain above 95% in the incidence angle range of 0–40°. In addition, the resonance peaks of the DBA can be adjusted simultaneously and separately by adjusting the structural parameters. Therefore, this DBA is advantageous for applications in the fields of imaging, absorption and detection of graphene-based photonic devices in the infrared region.

Nanosecond-scale all-optical Ti3C2T x -MXene modulator

Inspired by recent advancements of graphene-based ultrafast photonic devices, Ti3C2T x -MXene, as a graphene-like two-dimensional layer-structure material, has gained extensive interest in nonlinear optical applications, especially in all-optical intensity modulation. Herein, we successfully fabricated an all-optical modulator based on Ti3C2T x -Mxene/polyvinyl-alcohol film with nanosecond-scale response time, modulation speed of 100 kHz, and modulation depth of 10%. Furthermore, the variation of fall edges of modulated signal pulse caused by thermo-optic effect under different pump power was also observed. Considering the ease of fabrication, low cost, and ease of integration, the proposed modulator may open the door for high-speed all-optical communications and signal processing.

Directly Synthesized Graphene-Based Photonics and Optoelectronics Devices

In the past two decades, extensive research and studies have been performed on graphene because of its exceptional physical properties. Owing to its ultrahigh carrier mobility, quantum Hall effect and unique optical transmittance, graphene is considered to be a multi-functional component for realizing next-generation optoelectronic and photonic devices. Significant efforts have been made towards efficient synthesis, transfer, and integration of graphene for use in device scale. However, the critical hurdles lie in developing 3D and conformal graphene, which are ideal for integrated hybrid photonic systems. Here, we review different methods of synthesizing graphene, specifically recent advances in the synthesis of direct, conformal, 3D graphene. In addition, we comprehensively summarize the latest progress made towards directly grown, 3D, conformal graphene-based photonic and optoelectronic applications. Finally, several important challenges for large-sale implementation of directly grown graphene-based optoelectronic and photonic devices are discussed.

Wafer-Scale Integration of Graphene-Based Photonic Devices.

Graphene and related materials can lead to disruptive advances in next-generation photonics and optoelectronics. The challenge is to devise growth, transfer and fabrication protocols providing high (≥5000 cm2 V–1 s–1) mobility devices with reliable performance at the wafer scale. Here, we present a flow for the integration of graphene in photonics circuits. This relies on chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of single layer graphene (SLG) matrices comprising up to ∼12000 individual single crystals, grown to match the geometrical configuration of the devices in the photonic circuit. This is followed by a transfer approach which guarantees coverage over ∼80% of the device area, and integrity for up to 150 mm wafers, with room temperature mobility ∼5000 cm2 V–1 s–1. We use this process flow to demonstrate double SLG electro-absorption modulators with modulation efficiency ∼0.25, 0.45, 0.75, 1 dB V–1 for device lengths ∼30, 60, 90, 120 μm. The data rate is up to 20 Gbps. Encapsulation with single-layer hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) is used to protect SLG during plasma-enhanced CVD of Si3N4, ensuring reproducible device performance. The processes are compatible with full automation. This paves the way for large scale production of graphene-based photonic devices.

Graphene-based dual-band tunable perfect absorber in THz range

ABSTRACT We design and simulate a tunable dual-band perfect absorber. This absorber is composed of a circular graphene layer with an ellipse cut out in the centre, separated by a dielectric layer in the middle and a gold mirror at the bottom. Results reveal that there exist two perfect absorption peaks in the terahertz band. The position of the absorption peak can be changed by adjusting the Fermi level and geometric parameters of the graphene pattern. Furthermore, the absorber is insensitive to the polarized incident light with a wide incident angle. Functionalities are achieved based on a simple and symmetrical single-layer graphene pattern, which can greatly reduce the manufacturing costs. The proposed absorber can be applied in the field of graphene-based photonic devices, such as detectors, sensors, and filters.

Wafer-scale fabrication of single-crystal graphene on Ge(1 1 0) substrate by optimized CH4/H2 ratio

The synthesis of high-quality wafer-scale single-crystal graphene is indispensable for the commercial applications of graphene-based electronic and photonic devices. Previously large-scale single-crystal graphene was successfully acquired by various growth optimization whereas the methods vary from lab to lab due to the complicated process of chemical vapor deposition. Here we present an approach to fabricate monolayer single-crystal graphene on 4-inch Ge(110) wafer by tuning CH4/H2 ratio precisely. By directly monitoring the growth process of graphene via atomic force microscopy, it is found that under high CH4/H2 ratio condition new graphene domains ceaselessly nucleate and enlarge during the whole growth process, while under low CH4/H2 ratio condition, the density of graphene domains is saturated at early stage, which causes the formation of single-crystal graphene. Terahertz time domain spectroscopy shows that the average carrier mobility of single-crystal graphene wafer is as high as 26351 cm2/V·s, comparable to that of the exfoliated graphene. This work provides an efficient and reliable approach to fabricate wafer-scale single-crystal graphene for microelectronics and optoelectronics applications in the future.

Sizable Band Gap in Epitaxial Bilayer Graphene Induced by Silicene Intercalation.

Opening a band gap in bilayer graphene (BLG) is of significance for potential applications in graphene-based electronic and photonic devices. Here, we report the generation of a sizable band gap in BLG by intercalating silicene between BLG and Ru substrate. We first grow high-quality Bernal-stacked BLG on Ru(0001) and then intercalate silicene to the interface between the BLG and Ru, which is confirmed by low-energy electron diffraction and scanning tunneling microscopy. Raman spectroscopy shows that the G and 2D peaks of the intercalated BLG are restored to the freestanding-BLG features. Angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy measurements show that a band gap of about 0.2 eV opens in the BLG. Density functional theory calculations indicate that the large-gap opening results from a cooperative contribution of the doping and rippling/strain in the BLG. This work provides insightful understanding on the mechanism of band gap opening in BLG and enhances the potential of graphene-based device development.

Probing the in-Plane Near-Field Enhancement Limit in a Plasmonic Particle-on-Film Nanocavity with Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy of Graphene.

When the geometric features of plasmonic nanostructures approach the subnanometric regime, nonlocal screening and charge spill-out of metallic electrons will strongly modify the optical responses of the structures. While quantum tunneling resulting from charge spill-out has been widely discussed in the literature, the near-field enhancement saturation caused by the nonlocal screening effect still lacks a direct experimental verification. In this work, we use surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) of graphene to probe the in-plane near-field enhancement limit in gold nanosphere-on-film nanocavities where different layers of graphene are sandwiched between a gold nanosphere and a gold film. Together with advanced transmission electron microscopy cross-sectional imaging and nonlocal hydrodynamic theoretical calculations, the cavity gap width correlated SERS and dark-field scattering measurements reveal that the intrinsic nonlocal dielectric response of gold limits the near-field enhancement factors and mitigates the plasmon resonance red-shift with decreasing the gap width to less than one nanometer. Our results not only verify previous theoretical predictions in both the near-field and far-field regime but also demonstrate the feasibility of controlling the near- and far-field optical response in such versatile plasmonic particle-graphene-on-film nanocavities, which can find great potential in applications of graphene-based photonic devices in the visible and near-infrared region.

Enhanced third harmonic generation from graphene embedded in dielectric resonant waveguide gratings

We propose a structure of graphene embedded in dielectric resonant waveguide gratings to enhance the nonlinear interactions in graphene. Third harmonic generation (THG) from graphene is significantly enhanced in the waveguide mode under transverse electric polarization. Compared with the graphene on a flat dielectric film, the enhancement factor is up to 109. We in detail studied the THG intensity influenced by the Fermi level of graphene, the position of graphene, and multimode of waveguide. Our investigation has great significance for design and experimental fabrication of graphene-based nonlinear photonic devices.

Coherent optical modulation of graphene based on coherent population oscillation.

The optical modulation of graphene circumvents the "electrical bottleneck" in electrical field tuning of the Fermi level and motivates diverse graphene-based controllable photonic devices with extraordinary performances. Unfortunately, pervious optical modulation schemes are incoherent, and the Fermi-Dirac distribution formed from a strong pump laser prevents the absorption of a weak probe laser due to the Pauli blocking, making the modulation inconvenient and low in efficiency. Here we demonstrate the coherent optical modulation of graphene based on coherent population oscillation, where ground state population oscillates with a beat frequency equal to the pump and probe frequency difference. To distinguish it from the coexisting incoherent modulation in graphene, a phase-sensitive pump-probe system is constructed with a fiber-based Mach-Zehnder interferometer. Clear resonance within the burning hole of a pump laser is observed in the interference spectrum of a coherent probe laser. The discovery of highly coherent ground state population oscillation in graphene offers new possibilities for manipulating and controlling the phase response of graphene-based photonics with high efficiency.

Charge transfer in graphene/polymer interfaces for CO2 detection

Understanding charge transfer processes between graphene and functional materials is crucial from the perspectives of fundamental sciences and potential applications, including electronic devices, photonic devices, and sensors. In this study, we present the charge transfer behavior of graphene and amine-rich polyethyleneimine (PEI) upon CO2 exposure, which was significantly improved after introduction of hygroscopic polyethylene glycol (PEG) in humid air. By blending PEI and PEG, the number of protonated amine groups in PEI was remarkably increased in the presence of water molecules, leading to a strong electron doping effect on graphene. The presence of CO2 gas resulted in a large change in the resistance of PEI/PEG-co-functionalized graphene because of the dramatic reduction of said doping effect, reaching a maximum sensitivity of 32% at 5,000 ppm CO2 and an applied bias of 0.1 V in air with 60% relative humidity at room temperature. This charge transfer correlation will facilitate the development of portable graphene-based sensors for real-time gas detection and the extension of the applications of graphene-based electronic and photonic devices.

Nonlinear optical responses of carbon quantum dots anchored on graphene oxide hybrid in solid-state transparent monolithic silica gel glasses

Exploring the nonlinear optical (NLO) response of graphene-based hybrids in solid-state three-dimensional macrostructures is vital to promote the practical development of graphene-based photonic and optoelectronic devices. Here, a solid-state hybrid of ultrafine and well-dispersed carbon quantum dots (CQDs) supported on graphene oxide (GO) was chosen as representative of such materials. The hybrid was introduced into organically modified silica gel glasses using a facile sol-gel wet chemical technique to obtain stable transparent monolithic nanocomposites, and their practical application in nonlinear optics was explored. The NLO performances were investigated by the open-aperture (OA) and closed-aperture (CA) Z-scan techniques in the nanosecond regime using a laser with a wavelength of 532 nm. The as-prepared CQD/GO SiO2 gel glasses displayed completely different NLO behavior from that of a CQD/GO suspension. The NLO performance of CQD/GO significantly improved after incorporation into SiO2 gel glasses because of the more graphitized structure of the CQD/GO hybrid. Both the OA and CA Z-scan patterns suggested that the NLO properties of the CQD/GO suspension combined nonlinear absorption and nonlinear scattering, while the NLO response of the CQD/GO SiO2 gel glasses stemmed primarily from nonlinear absorption and nonlinear refraction. In addition, this is the first report of the third-order nonlinear susceptibility χ(3) of a CQD/GO hybrid doped in solid-state gel glasses. The present results therefore demonstrate the feasibility and versatility of CQD/GO silica gel glasses, a promising new class of highly efficient NLO materials that can be applied in optical communications, radiofrequency optoelectronics, and all-optical signal processing.

Graphene-based plasmonic waveguide devices for electronic-photonic integrated circuit

Graphene is a one-atom thick carbon film packed in a honeycomb structure, and because it has extraordinary optoelectronic properties, it has attracted a great deal of attention in the field of photonics. Graphene-based plasmonic photonic devices have been developed which are capable of emitting, transmitting, modulating, and detecting light wave signals using a single material. In this paper, we propose the concept of on-chip graphene electronic-photonic integrated circuits (EPICs) architecture, and present developments and perspectives on the essential graphene plasmonic-based photonic components, including the plasmonic waveguide, modulator, and photodetector, which are based on the graphene EPICs. The optical characteristics and design considerations of the graphene-based photonic devices are discussed based on experimental and theoretical investigations at telecommunications wavelengths. In parallel, we provide new device design concepts and a potential solution for further improving their operating characteristics. We also performed a numerical investigation of the characteristics of the photonic devices to explain their operating principles and to predict their operating performances. The proposed photonic components were fabricated on an organic photonic chip using an optimized fabrication process, and their optical characteristics were experimentally demonstrated. Based on these results and demonstrations, we hope to introduce new perspectives on the future direction of graphene-EPICs in graphene plasmonics and the optical telecom field.

A Dual-Band Tunable Metamaterial Near-Unity Absorber Composed of Periodic Cross and Disk Graphene Arrays

A three-dimensional dual-band perfect absorber in the THz range (3–10 THz) is theoretically investigated. The absorber is composed of periodically placed cross- and disk-shaped graphene arrays on the top of a gold layer separated by a thick SiO $_{2}$ dielectric spacer. The simulated results show two absorption peaks with near-unity absorbance ( $99.923\%$ and $99.601\%$ ) at wavelengths 43.747 $\mu$ m and 69.94 $\mu$ m, respectively. Also, the absorber is insensitive to the polarization of the incident light and has a good tolerance to the incident angle whether it is TE or TM waves. Moreover, the peak wavelengths of the absorber can be flexibly modulated by varying the Fermi level $\mu _{C}$ of graphene while no need to refabricate the structure. This paper provides a new perspective for the design of graphene-based tunable multiband perfect THz absorbers, but not limited to THz absorbers, and may also be used in other THz graphene-based photonic devices.

Tunable Bragg defect mode in one-dimensional photonic crystal containing a graphene-embedded defect layer.

Using the transfer matrix method, the transmission properties of defective one-dimensional photonic crystal are analyzed in the terahertz region. The defect layer is composed of a graphene-embedded dielectric layer. We investigate the variation of the defect mode's frequency as a function of graphene chemical potential for different values of incident angles. The numerical results show that the frequency of the defect mode can be tuned effectively as the chemical potential of graphene nanolayers changes using an applied gate voltage. The present results can be useful in designing tunable graphene-based photonic devices such as filters and sensors in terahertz regions.