Light Absorption Of Monolayer Graphene Research Articles

Actively modulating near-infrared absorption of monolayer graphene in a compound grating-coupled waveguide structure

In this work, we numerically study the tunable light absorption of monolayer graphene at the near-infrared region by the guided mode resonance in a compound grating-coupled waveguide structure. A biased graphene capacitor is placed below the coupled waveguides. The electromagnetically induced transparency phenomenon is demonstrated by the resonant coupling of guided modes. The light absorption of monolayer graphene at the transparency window can be dynamically tuned by shifting the Fermi energy of graphene in capacitor. The absorption modulation depth of monolayer graphene at the transparency window can vary quickly from zero to nearly 100 % around the interband transition of graphene in capacitor. These results have potential applications in the active photodetectors and photoconductive devices.

Ultra-broadband and completely modulated absorption enhancement of monolayer graphene in a near-infrared region.

Achieving ultra-broadband and completely modulated absorption enhancement of monolayer graphene in near-infrared region is practically important to design graphene-based optoelectronic devices, however, which remains a challenge. In this work, by spectrally designing multiple magnetic plasmon resonance modes in metamaterials to be adjacent to each other, near-infrared light absorption in monolayer graphene is greatly improved to have an averaged absorption efficiency exceeding 50% in a very broad absorption bandwidth of about 800 nm. Moreover, by exerting an external bias voltage on graphene to change Fermi energy of graphene, the ultra-broadband absorption enhancement of monolayer graphene exhibits an excellent tunability, which has a nearly 100% modulation depth and an electrical switching property. This work is promising for applications in near-infrared photodetectors, amplitude modulators of electromagnetic waves, etc.

Tailoring the light absorption of monolayer graphene via accidental quasi-bound states in the continuum

Bound states in the continuum (BICs) have drawn fundamental and technological interests due to their distinct features such as infinite quality factor and extremely localized fields. Recently, it has been shown that the light absorption of graphene can be effectively enhanced by using symmetry-protected quasi-BICs; however, the important role of the counterparts of accidental quasi-BICs for light absorption enhancement of ultrathin films has not been studied, to our knowledge. Herein, light absorption enhancement of graphene is demonstrated through the excitation of accidental quasi-BICs based on a simple silicon grating metasurface (SGM). Highly efficient light absorption of monolayer graphene can be achieved at over-coupled resonance, and the locations of the absorption peaks and their peak values can be dynamically tuned by varying the incident angle. The enhanced light absorption of graphene is originated mainly from the hybrid toroidal dipole and electric quadrupole mode according to the far-field multiple decompositions and near-field distributions of the unit cell of the structure. In addition, the absorption responses of the SGM with graphene are robust to the variation of structural parameters, and their optical performances can be highly modulated as the Fermi level of graphene is altered.

Broadband, wide-incident-angle, and polarization-insensitive high-efficiency absorption of monolayer graphene with nearly 100% modulation depth at communication wavelength

We theoretically study how to greatly improve the near-infrared light absorption of monolayer graphene through the excitation of magnetic resonance in metamaterials. The absorption maximum of monolayer graphene is able to reach up to about 77% at the communication wavelength of 1550 nm. The conventionally defined absorption bandwidth, i.e., the full width at half maximum (FWHM), is nearly 160 nm. Thanks to the localization nature of magnetic resonance, the broadband high-efficiency absorption of monolayer graphene is insensitive to the incident angle and the light polarization. The absorption maximum, the absorption bandwidth, and the resonance position all have almost no change, when the incident angle is increased to even 60 degrees for both p and s polarizations. By applying an external bias voltage to change Fermi energy, the absorption in graphene can be completely modulated, with a nearly 100% modulation depth. Furthermore, the graphene absorption has an abrupt and large change around the interband transition, which exhibits an electrical switching property. Our work may find potential applications in graphene-based optoelectronic devices such as photodetector and modulator.

Highly Efficient Light Absorption of Monolayer Graphene by Quasi-Bound State in the Continuum.

Graphene is an ideal ultrathin material for various optoelectronic devices, but poor light–graphene interaction limits its further applications particularly in the visible (Vis) to near-infrared (NIR) region. Despite tremendous efforts to improve light absorption in graphene, achieving highly efficient light absorption of monolayer graphene within a comparatively simple architecture is still urgently needed. Here, we demonstrate the interesting attribute of bound state in the continuum (BIC) for highly efficient light absorption of graphene by using a simple Si-based photonic crystal slab (PCS) with a slit. Near-perfect absorption of monolayer graphene can be realized due to high confinement of light and near-field enhancement in the Si-based PCS, where BIC turns into quasi-BIC due to the symmetry-breaking of the structure. Theoretical analysis based on the coupled mode theory (CMT) is proposed to evaluate the absorption performances of monolayer graphene integrated with the symmetry-broken PCS, which indicates that high absorption of graphene is feasible at critical coupling based on the destructive interference of transmission light. Moreover, the absorption spectra of the monolayer graphene are stable to the variations of the structural parameters, and the angular tolerances of classical incidence can be effectively improved via full conical incidence. By using the full conical incidence, the angular bandwidths for the peak absorptivity and for the central wavelength of graphene absorption can be enhanced more than five times and 2.92 times, respectively. When the Si-based PCS with graphene is used in refractive index sensors, excellent sensing performances with sensitivity of 604 nm/RIU and figure of merit (FoM) of 151 can be achieved.

Broadband, wide-angle, and polarization-insensitive enhancement of light absorption in monolayer graphene over whole visible spectrum

By precise control of the resonance positions of four magnetic dipole modes in metamaterials, we numerically exhibit a broadband light absorption enhancement of monolayer graphene in the whole visible region. In the wavelength range from 450 to 800 nm, the minimum and maximum absorption efficiencies of monolayer graphene exceed 40% and 70%, respectively, and the averaged absorption efficiency can reach as high as about 65%, which suggests great potentials in various optoelectronic devices. Thanks to the localization nature of magnetic dipole modes, the light absorption in monolayer graphene under oblique incidence is, on the whole, less dependent on the incidence angle and the polarization direction of light. Besides ultra-broad bandwidth, other good performances of the light absorption enhancement of monolayer graphene, such as wide incidence-angle and polarization insensitivity, are also desired for graphene-based optoelectronic devices in some cases.

Enhanced absorption of monolayer graphene using a metal–dielectric elliptical cavity array

In this paper, a strong coupling system consisting of a metal–dielectric elliptical cavity array and graphene nanoribbons is demonstrated, which can effectively enhance the light absorption of monolayer graphene in the mid-infrared spectral region. The elliptical cavity excites a strong localized field, which facilitates strong coupling between a cavity mode and a graphene surface plasmon (GSP) mode, leading to ultrabroad Rabi splitting. The classical LC circuit model is used to reveal the resonance relationship of the cavity mode. The coupled harmonic oscillator model is used to confirm the strong coupling phenomenon. The numerical simulation results demonstrate that fluctuations can be effectively tuned by adjusting the filling factor of the graphene nanoribbons. In addition, the broadband absorption of monolayer graphene can be further enhanced by changing the mobility of the graphene. A bandwidth of 6 μm with an average broadband absorption rate of 78.8% is obtained for the monolayer graphene. Such a substantial enhancement in the broadband absorption of graphene can lead to high-performance graphene optoelectronic components in the mid-infrared spectral region.

Electrically modulating and switching infrared absorption of monolayer graphene in metamaterials

Electrically modulating and switching the light absorption properties of monolayer graphene in near-infrared region has potentials in optoelectronic devices (e.g., photodetectors) and optical communication systems (e.g., modulators). In this work, we demonstrate numerically a broadband near-infrared absorption enhancement of monolayer graphene, due to the magnetic dipole resonance in metamaterials. The broadband light absorption in monolayer graphene can be largely modulated to realize an electrically switchable effect, via bias voltage for the interband transition of graphene to be near the magnetic dipole resonance. The absorption modulation depth is able to vary quickly from almost zero to nearly 100% in a very narrow wavelength range around the interband transition.

Graphene-Based Perfect Absorption Structures in the Visible to Terahertz Band and Their Optoelectronics Applications.

Graphene has unique properties which make it an ideal material for photonic and optoelectronic devices. However, the low light absorption in monolayer graphene seriously limits its practical applications. In order to greatly enhance the light absorption of graphene, many graphene-based structures have been developed to achieve perfect absorption of incident waves. In this review, we discuss and analyze various types of graphene-based perfect absorption structures in the visible to terahertz band. In particular, we review recent advances and optoelectronic applications of such structures. Indeed, the graphene-based perfect absorption structures offer the promise of solving the key problem which limits the applications of graphene in practical optoelectronic devices.

Wide Angle Dynamically Tunable Enhanced Infrared Absorption on Large-Area Nanopatterned Graphene.

Enhancing light-matter interaction by exciting Dirac plasmons on nanopatterned monolayer graphene is an efficient route to achieve high infrared absorption. Here, we designed and fabricated hexagonal planar arrays of nanoholes and nanodisks with and without optical cavity to excite Dirac plasmons on patterned graphene and investigate the role of plasmon lifetime, extinction cross-section, incident light polarization, angle of incident light, and pattern dimensions on the light-absorption spectra. By incorporating a high-k Al2O3 layer as the gate dielectric for dynamic electrostatic tuning of the Fermi level, we demonstrate peak absorptions of 60% and 90% for the nanohole and nanodisk patterns, respectively, in the atmospheric transparent 8-12 μm infrared imaging band with high spectral tunability. Finally, we theoretically and experimentally demonstrate angular dependence of both s- and p-polarized light absorption in monolayer graphene. Our results showcase the practical usability of low carrier mobility CVD-grown graphene for wide angle infrared absorption, which is suitable for next-generation optoelectronic devices such as photodetectors, optical switches, modulators, etc.

Multiple-band enhanced light absorption of monolayer graphene with critical coupling to guided mode resonance

We investigate subwavelength grating-coupled distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) in order to achieve total absorption at preselected wavelengths in a graphene monolayer. Multispectral and near-unity absorption (approximately 99.44% of the incident light at normal incidence) can be achieved in the proposed photonic structure at near-infrared (NIR) regimes. When the system meets the condition of critical coupling, the excited guided mode resonance (GMR) occurs at the resonance wavelength, and the corresponding electric field intensity around the graphene sheet can be greatly enhanced due to the reinforced light-graphene interaction. Multiple absorption peaks can be tuned within the wavelength region of 1.3 μm to 1.6 μm by varying the structural parameters. Our findings also indicate that the near-total-absorption peaks are highly dependent on the number and thickness of unit cells in DBR. These features make the proposed structure have great potential in applications of scalable perfect absorbers (PAs).

High-efficient light absorption of monolayer graphene via cylindrical dielectric arrays and the sensing application

The efficiency of graphene-based optoelectronic devices is typically limited by the poor absolute absorption of light. A hybrid structure of monolayer graphene with cylindrical titanium dioxide (TiO2) array and aluminum oxide (Al2O3) spacer layer on aluminum (Al) substrate has been proposed to enhance the absorption for two-dimensional (2D) materials. By combining dielectric array with metal substrate, the structure achieves multiple absorption peaks with near unity absorbance at near-infrared wavelengths due to the resonant effect of dielectric array. Completed monolayer graphene is utilized in the design without any demand of manufacture process to form the periodic patterns. Further analysis indicates that the near-field enhancement induced by surface modes gives rise to the high absorption. This favorable field enhancement and tunability of absorption not only open up new approaches to accelerate the light-graphene interaction, but also show great potential for practical applications in high-performance optoelectronic devices, such as modulators and sensors.

Tunable ultra-high-efficiency light absorption of monolayer graphene using critical coupling with guided resonance.

We numerically demonstrate a novel monolayer graphene-based perfect absorption multi-layer photonic structure by the mechanism of critical coupling with guided resonance, in which the absorption of graphene can significantly reach 99% at telecommunication wavelengths. The highly efficient absorption and spectral selectivity can be obtained with designing structural parameters in the near-infrared region. Compared to previous works, we achieve the complete absorption of single-atomic-layer graphene in the perfect absorber with a lossless dielectric Bragg mirror, which not only opens up new methods of enhancing the light-graphene interaction, but also makes for practical applications in high-performance optoelectronic devices, such as modulators and sensors.

Dynamically tunable extraordinary light absorption in monolayer graphene

The high carrier mobility of graphene makes it an attractive material for electronics, however, graphene's application for optoelectronic systems is limited due to its low optical absorption. We present a cavity-coupled nanopatterned graphene absorber designed to sustain temporal and spatial overlap between localized surface plasmon resonance and cavity modes, thereby resulting in enhanced absorption up to an unprecedented value of theoretically $(60%)$ and experimentally measured $(45%)$ monolayer graphene in the technologically relevant 8--12-\ensuremath{\mu}m atmospheric transparent infrared imaging band. We demonstrate a wide electrostatic tunability of the absorption band $(\ensuremath{\sim}2\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{m})$ by modifying the Fermi energy. The proposed device design allows enhanced absorption and dynamic tunability of chemical vapor deposition grown low carrier mobility graphene which provides a significant advantage over previous strategies where absorption enhancement was limited to exfoliated high carrier mobility graphene. We developed an analytical model that incorporates the coupling of the graphene electron and substrate phonons, providing valuable and instructive insights into the modified plasmon-phonon dispersion relation necessary to interpret the experimental observations. Such gate voltage and cavity tunable enhanced absorption in chemical vapor deposited large area monolayer graphene paves the path towards the scalable development of ultrasensitive infrared photodetectors, modulators, and other optoelectronic devices.

Tunable high-efficiency light absorption of monolayer graphene via Tamm plasmon polaritons.

Highly efficient absorption of light at telecommunication wavelengths in monolayer graphene is numerically and theoretically investigated in a multi-layer photonic configuration, which consists of an ultrathin metal film coated on a dielectric Bragg mirror and a graphene sheet in a silica spacer. Our results show that the absolute absorption of light in the single-atomic-layer graphene can significantly reach 80% (34.8-fold enhancement compared to the intrinsic value of 2.3%), due to the strong field confinement of Tamm plasmon polaritons in the silica spacer. Moreover, we find that the absorption efficiency of graphene is critically dependent on the position of the graphene in the spacer. The operating wavelength is flexibly tunable by adjusting the incident angle of light and the thicknesses of metal and Bragg mirror layers. The meaningful improvement and tunability of graphene absorption may find favorable applications for the realization of high-performance graphene optoelectronic devices, such as detectors and modulators.

Narrow-band enhanced absorption of monolayer graphene at near-infrared (NIR) sandwiched by dual gratings

One possibility of enhancing light absorption in monolayer graphene at near-infrared (NIR) wavelength region with grating structures is proposed and investigated. It is demonstrated that it is possible to achieve near-perfect absorption when a single monolayer graphene is sandwiched between two gratings with optimized geometric parameters at normal incidence for transverse electric (TE) polarization. By means of the rigorous coupled-wave analysis (RCWA), the effects of technological tolerances on the optical response of the structure by varying geometric parameters and incident angle are studied. The proposed photonic structure could be efficiently exploited as a building block for innovative optical absorbers or photodetectors in combination with active materials.

Highly photosensitive graphene field-effect transistor with optical memory function.

Graphene is a promising material for use in photodetectors for the ultrawide wavelength region: from ultraviolet to terahertz. Nevertheless, only the 2.3% light absorption of monolayer graphene and fast recombination time of photo-excited charge restrict its sensitivity. To enhance the photosensitivity, hybridization of photosensitive material and graphene has been widely studied, where the accumulated photo-excited charge adjacent to the graphene channel modifies the Fermi level of graphene. However, the charge accumulation process slows the response to around a few tens of seconds to minutes. In contrast, a charge accumulation at the contact would induce the efficient light-induced modification of the contact resistance, which would enhance its photosensitivity. Herein, we demonstrate a highly photosensitive graphene field-effect transistor with noise-equivalent power of ~3 × 10−15 W/Hz1/2 and with response time within milliseconds at room temperature, where the Au oxide on Au electrodes modulates the contact resistance because of the light-assisted relaxation of the trapped charge at the contact. Additionally, this light-induced relaxation imparts an optical memory function with retention time of ~5 s. These findings are expected to open avenues to realization of graphene photodetectors with high sensitivity toward single photon detection with optical memory function.

Greatly enhanced ultrabroadband light absorption by monolayer graphene

We demonstrate greatly enhanced light absorption by monolayer graphene over a broad spectral range, from visible to near IR, based on the attenuated total reflection. In the experiment, graphene is sandwiched between two dielectric media referred to as superstrate and substrate. Based on numerical calculation and experimental results, the closer the refractive indices of the superstrate and the substrate are, the higher the absorption of graphene is. The light absorption of monolayer graphene up to 42.7% is experimentally achieved.