Characterization of graphene-based photonic crystal in THz spectrum with finite-difference time domain method

Graphene has been considered as a promising material which may find applications in the THz science. In this work, we numerically investigate tunable photonic crystals in the THz range based on stacked graphene/dielelctric layers, a complex pole-residue pair model is used to find the effective permittivity of graphene, which could be easily incorporated into the finite-difference time domain （FDTD） algorithm. Two different schemes of photonic crystal used for extending the bandgap have been simulated through this FDTD technique.

Dynamic modulation in graphene-integrated silicon photonic crystal nanocavity

Silicon-based electro-optic modulators are the key devices in integrated optoelectronics. Integration of the graphene layer and the photonic crystal(PC) cavity is a promising way of achieving compact modulators with high efficiency. In this paper, a high-quality(Q) acceptor-type PC nanocavity is employed to integrate with a single-layer graphene for realizing strong modulation. Through tuning the chemical potential of graphene, a large wavelength shift of 2.62 nm and a Q factor modulation of larger than 5 are achieved. A modulation depth(12.8 dB) of the reflection spectrum is also obtained.Moreover, the optimized PC nanocavity has a large free spectral range of 131.59 nm, which can effectively enhance the flexibility of the modulator. It shows that the proposed graphene-based PC nanocavity is a potential candidate for compact,high-contrast, and low-power absorptive modulators in integrated silicon chips.

Ultra-broadband polarization splitter based on graphene layer-filled dual-core photonic crystal fiber

An ultra-broadband polarization splitter based on graphene layer-filled dual-core photonic crystal fiber （GDC-PCF） that can work in a wavelength range from 1120 nm to 1730 nm is proposed in this paper. Through optimizing fiber configuration, the polarization splitter has an extinction ratio of-56.3 dB at 1.55 μm with a fiber length of 4.8 mm. Compared with the photonic crystal fiber reported splitters, to our knowledge, the GDC-PCF splitter with the extinction ratio below-20 dB has a super wide bandwidth of 610 nm. Due to the excellent splitting characteristics, the GDC-PCF will be used in coherent optical communication systems in a wavelength range from infrared to mid-infraed.

Tunable and highly sensitive temperature sensor based on graphene photonic crystal fiber

Optical fiber temperature sensors have been widely employed in enormous areas ranging from electric power industry,medical treatment,ocean dynamics to aerospace.Recently,graphene optical fiber temperature sensors attract tremendous attention for their merits of simple structure and direct power detecting ability.However,these sensors based on transfer techniques still have limitations in the relatively low sensitivity or distortion of the transmission characteristics,due to the unsuitable Fermi level of graphene and the destruction of fiber structure,respectively.Here,we propose a tunable and highly sensitive temperature sensor based on graphene photonic crystal fiber(Gr-PCF)with the non-destructive integration of graphene into the holes of PCF.This hybrid structure promises the intact fiber structure and transmission mode,which efficiently enhances the temperature detection ability of graphene.From our simulation,we find that the temperature sensitivity can be electrically tuned over four orders of magnitude and achieve up to~3.34×10^(-3) dB/(cm·℃)when the graphene Fermi level is~35 meV higher than half the incident photon energy.Additionally,this sensitivity can be further improved by~10 times through optimizing the PCF structure(such as the fiber hole diameter)to enhance the light–matter interaction.Our results provide a new way for the design of the highly sensitive temperature sensors and broaden applications in all-fiber optoelectronic devices.

Modulation and enhancement of photonic spin Hall effect with graphene in broadband regions

The photonic spin Hall effect(SHE)holds great potential applications in manipulating spin-polarized photons.However,the SHE is generally very weak,and previous studies of amplifying photonic SHE were limited to the incident light in a specific wavelength range.In this paper,we propose a four-layered nanostructure of prism-graphene-air-substrate,and the enhanced photonic SHE of reflected light in broadband range of 0 THz–500 THz is investigated theoretically.The spin shift can be dynamically modulated by adjusting the thickness of air gap,Fermi energy of graphene,and also the incident angle.By optimizing the structural parameter of this structure,the giant spin shift(almost equal to its upper limit,half of the incident beam waist)in broadband range is achieved,covering the terahertz,infrared,and visible range.The difference is that in the terahertz region,the Brewster angle corresponding to the giant spin shift is larger than that of infrared range and visible range.These findings provide us with a convenient and effective way to tune the photonic SHE,and may offer an opportunity for developing new tunable photonic devices in broadband range.

Graphene photodetector employing double slot structure with enhanced responsivity and large bandwidth

Silicon photonics integrated with graphene provides a promising solution to realize integrated photodetectors operating at the communication window thanks to graphene’s ultrafast response and compatibility with CMOS fabrication process.However, current hybrid graphene/silicon photodetectors suffer from low responsivity due to the weak light-graphene interaction. Plasmonic structures have been explored to enhance the responsivity, but the intrinsic metallic Ohmic absorption of the plasmonic mode limits its performance. In this work, by combining the silicon slot and the plasmonic slot waveguide, we demonstrate a novel double slot structure supporting high-performance photodetection, taking advantages of both silicon photonics and plasmonics. With the optimized structural parameters, the double slot structure significantly promotes graphene absorption while maintaining low metallic absorption within the double slot waveguide. Based on the double slot structure, the demonstrated photodetector holds a high responsivity of 603.92 m A/W and a large bandwidth of 78 GHz. The high-performance photodetector provides a competitive solution for the silicon photodetector. Moreover,the double slot structure could be beneficial to a broader range of hybrid two-dimensional material/silicon devices to achieve stronger light-matter interaction with lower metallic absorption.

Tunable absorption characteristics in multilayered structures with graphene for biosensing

Graphene derivatives,possessing strong Raman scattering and near-infrared absorption intrin-sically,have boosted many exciting biosensing applications.The tunability of the absorption characteristics,however,remains largely unexplored to date.Here,we proposed a multilayer configuration constructed by a graphene monolayer sandwiched between a buffer layer and one-dimensional photonic crystal(1DPC)to achieve tunable graphene absorption under total in-ternal reflection(TIR).It is interesting that the unique optical properties of the buffer-graphene-1DPC multilayer structure,the electromagnetically induced transparency(EIT)-like and Fano-like absorptions,can be achieved with pre-determined resonance wavelengths,and furtherly be tuned by adjusting either the structure parameters or the incident angle of light.Theoretical analyses demonstrate that such EIT-and Fano-like absorptions are due to the interference of light in the multilayer structure and the complete transmission produced by the evanescent wave resonance in the configuration.The enhanced absorptions and the huge electrical field en-hancement effect exhibit potentials for broad applications,such as photoacoustic imaging and Raman imaging.

Optical conductivity of ABA-stacked trilayer graphene

The optical conductivity of a trilayer graphene is studied using the Kubo-Greenwood formula. We calculate the real part of the diagonal optical conductivity of an ABA-stacked trilayer graphene with different Fermi energies. The optical conductivity arises from interband matrix elements of the electric current operator involving the transitions from the occupied states to the unoccupied ones. We study the dependence of the real part of the diagonal optical conductivity on the photon energy, and the role of the transitions.

Study on polarization properties of graphene coated D-shaped fiber

The optical properties of graphene coated D-shaped single mode fiber and photonic crystal fiber are numerically analyzed. Enhancement of the graphene-light interaction is found in graphene coated D-shaped photonic crystal fiber,which introduces a tunable polarization of the D-shaped fiber by changing the chemical potential of the coated graphene.An optimal polarizer model is demonstrated with the extinction ratio of 66.26 dB/mm and the insertion loss of 9.4 dB/mm.The modulator extinction ratios of the TE mode and TM mode are 11.5 dB and 5 dB, respectively, with a device length of100 μm. This paper provides a theoretical reference for the optical property research of the graphene fiber.

Two-color light-emitting diodes with polarization-sensitive high extraction efficiency based on graphene

In the present study, graphene photonic crystals are employed to enhance the light extraction efficiency（LEE） of two-color, red and blue, light-emitting diode（LED）. The transmission characteristics of one-dimensional（1D） Fibonacci graphene photonic crystal LED（FGPC-LED） are investigated by using the transfer matrix method and the scaling study is presented. We analyzed the influence of period, thickness, and permittivity in the structure to enhance the LEE. The transmission spectrum of 1D FGPC has been optimized in detail. In addition, the effects of the angle of incidence and the state of polarization are investigated. As the main result, we found the optimum values of relevant parameters to enhance the extraction of red and blue light from an LED as well as provide perfect omnidirectional and high peak transmission filters for the TE and TM modes.

Dual-channel tunable near-infrared absorption enhancement with graphene induced by coupled modes of topological interface states

The dual-channel nearly perfect absorption is realized by the coupled modes of topological interface states(TIS) in the near-infrared range. An all-dielectric layered heterostructure composed of photonic crystals(Ph C)/graphene/Ph C/graphene/Ph C on Ga As substrate is proposed to excite the TIS at the interface of adjacent Ph C with opposite topological properties. Based on finite element method(FEM) and transfer matrix method(TMM), the dualchannel absorption can be modulated by the periodic number of middle Ph C, Fermi level of graphene, and angle of incident light(TE and TM polarizations). Especially, by fine-tuning the Fermi level of graphene around 0.4 e V, the absorption of both channels can be switched rapidly and synchronously. This design is hopefully integrated into silicon-based chips to control light.

Photonic graphene with reconfigurable geometric structures in coherent atomic ensembles

Photonic graphene,possesses a honeycomb-like geometric structure,provides a superior platform for simulating photonic bandgap,Dirac physics,and topological photonics.Here,the photonic graphene with reconfigurable geometric structures is demonstrated in a 5S_(1/2)–5P_(3/2)–5D_(5/2) cascade-type 85Rb atomic ensembles.A strong hexagonal-coupling field,formed by the interference of three identical coupling beams,is responsible for optically inducing photonic graphene in atomic vapor.The incident weak probe beam experiences discrete diffraction,and the observed pattern at the output plane of vapor cell exhibits a clear hexagonal intensity distribution.The complete photonic graphene geometries from transversely stretched to longitudinally stretched are conveniently constructed by varying the spatial arrangement of three coupling beams,and the corresponding diffraction patterns are implemented theoretically and experimentally to map these distorted geometric structures.Moreover,the distribution of lattice sites intensity in photonic graphene is further dynamically adjusted by two-photon detuning and the coupling beams power.This work paves the way for further investigation of light transport and graphene dynamics.

Complex band structures of 1D anisotropic graphene photonic crystal

The complex band structures of a 1D anisotropic graphene photonic crystal are investigated, and the dispersion relations are confirmed using the transfer matrix method and simulation of commercial software. It is found that the result of using effective medium theory can fit the derived dispersion curves in the low wave vector.Transmission, absorption, and reflection at oblique incident angles are studied for the structure, respectively.Omni-gaps exist for angles as high as 80° for two polarizations. Physical mechanisms of the tunable dispersion and transmission are explained by the permittivity of graphene and the effective permittivity of the multilayerstructure.

Graphene/phosphorene nano-heterojunction:facile synthesis, nonlinear optics, and ultrafast photonics applications with enhanced performance

Owing to its thickness-modulated direct energy band gap, relatively strong light–matter interaction, and unique nonlinear optical response at a long wavelength, few-layer black phosphorus, or phosphorene, becomes very attractive in ultrafast photonics applications. Herein, we synthesized a graphene/phosphorene nano-heterojunction using a liquid phase-stripping method. Tiny lattice distortions in graphene and phosphorene suggest the formation of a nano-heterojunction between graphene and phosphorene nanosheets. In addition, we systematically investigate their nonlinear optical responses at different wavelength regimes. Our experiments indicate that the combined advantages of ultrafast relaxation, broadband response in graphene, and the strong light–matter interaction in phosphorene can be combined together by nano-heterojunction. We have further fabricated two-dimensional(2D) nano-heterojunction based optical saturable absorbers and integrated them into an erbium-doped fiber laser to demonstrate the generation of a stable ultrashort pulse down to 148 fs. Our results indicate that a graphene/phosphorene nano-heterojunction can operate as a promising saturable absorber for ultrafast laser systems with ultrahigh pulse energy and ultranarrow pulse duration. We believe this work opens up a new approach to designing 2D heterointerfaces for applications in ultrafast photonics and other research.The fabrication of a 2D nano-heterojunction assembled from stacking different 2D materials, via this facile and scalable growth approach, paves the way for the formation and tuning of new 2D materials with desirable photonic properties and applications.

An optical slot-antenna-coupled cavity (SAC) framework towards tunable free-space graphene photonic surfaces

The optical conductivity of single layer graphene (SLG) can be significantly and reversibly modified when the Fermi level is tuned by electrical gating. However, so far this interesting property has rarely been applied to free-space two-dimensional (2D) photonic devices because the surface-incident absolute absorption of SLG is limited to 1%–2%. No significant change in either reflectance or transmittance would be observed even if SLG is made transparent upon gating. To achieve significantly enhanced surface-incident optical absorption in SLG in a device structure that also allows gating, here we embed SLG in an optical slot-antenna-coupled cavity (SAC) framework, simultaneously enhancing SLG absorption by up to 20 times and potentially enabling electrical gating of SLG as a step towards tunable 2D photonic surfaces. This framework synergistically integrates near-field enhancement induced by ultrahigh refractive index semimetal slot-antenna with broadband resonances in visible and infrared regimes, ~ 3 times more effective than a vertical cavity structure alone. An example of this framework consists of self-assembled, close-packed Sn nanodots separated by ~ 10 nm nanogaps on a SLG/SiO2/Al stack, which dramatically increases SLG optical absorption to 10%-25% at λ = 600–1,900 nm. The enhanced SLG absorption spectrum can also be controlled by the insulator thickness. For example, SLG embedded in this framework with a 150 nm-thick SiO2 insulating layer displays a distinctive red color in contrast to its surrounding regions without SLG on the same sample under white light illumination. This opens a potential path towards gate-tunable spectral reflectors. Overall, this work initiates a new approach towards tunable 2D photonic surfaces.

Monolayer Graphene as a Saturable Absorber in a Mode-Locked Laser

We demonstrate that the intrinsic properties of monolayer graphene allow it to act as a more effective saturable absorber for mode-locking fiber lasers when compared to multilayer graphene. The absorption of monolayer graphene can be saturated at lower excitation intensity compared to multilayer graphene, graphene with wrinkle-like defects, or functionalized graphene. Monolayer graphene has a remarkably large modulation depth of 65.9%, whereas the modulation depth of multilayer graphene is greatly reduced due to nonsaturable absorption and scattering loss. Picosecond ultrafast laser pulses （1.23 ps） can be generated using monolayer graphene as a saturable absorber. Due to the ultrafast relaxation time, larger modulation depth and lower scattering loss of monolayer graphene, it performs better than multilayer graphene in terms of pulse shaping ability, pulse stability, and output energy.

Graphene-based silicon modulators

Silicon photonics is a promising technology to address the demand for dense and integrated nextgeneration optical interconnections due to its complementary-metal-oxide-semiconductor(CMOS) compatibility.However, one of the key building blocks, the silicon modulator, suffers from several drawbacks, including a limited bandwidth, a relatively large footprint, and high power consumption. The graphene-based silicon modulator, which benefits from the excellent optical properties of the two-dimensional graphene material with its unique band structure,has significantly advanced the above critical figures of merit. In this work, we review the state-of-the-art graphenebased silicon modulators operating in various mechanisms, i.e., thermal-optical, electro-optical, and plasmonic. It is shown that graphene-based silicon modulators possess the potential to have satisfactory characteristics in intra-and inter-chip connections.

Nanopolaritonic second-order topological insulator based on graphene plasmons

Ultrastrong confinement,long lifetime,and gate-tunability of graphene plasmon polaritons(GPPs)motivate wide-ranging efforts to develop GPP-based active nanophotonic platforms.Incorporation of topological phenomena into such platforms will ensure their robustness as well as enrich their capabilities as promising test beds of strong light–matter interactions.A recently reported approach suggests an experimentally viable platform for topological graphene plasmonics by introducing nanopatterned gates—metagates.We propose a metagate-tuned GPP platform emulating a second-order topological crystalline insulator.The metagate imprints its crystalline symmetry onto graphene by modulating its chemical potential via field-effect gating.Depending on the gate geometry and applied voltage,the resulting two-dimensional crystal supports either one-dimensional chiral edge states or zero-dimensional midgap corner states.The proposed approach to achieving the hierarchy of nontrivial topological invariants at all dimensions lower than the dimension of the host material paves the way to utilizing higher-order topological effects for onchip and ultracompact nanophotonic waveguides and cavities.

Reduced graphene oxide/2D colloidal array composite membrane fabricated layer-by-layer

Photonic crystal（Ph C） presents unique optical properties and functionality, and are used widely as detectors, modulators, plasmonics and light generating devices. However, the low electrical conductivity and mechanical strength limit its applications. We introduced here a layer-by-layer composite membrane based on reduced graphene oxide（RGO） and two-dimensional（2 D） colloidal crystal array（CCA）. The 2 D CCA was fabricated by an air/water interface deposition technique using polystyrene（PS）and polymethyl methacrylate（PMMA） colloidal particles. The composite membrane were characterized by SEM, Debye diffraction, reflectance spectra and electrical resistance measurement. The results indicated that layer-by-layer composite membrane have highly periodicity, and the monolayer of RGO and 2 D CCA combined tightly. The Debye diffraction rings of the layer-by-layer heterostructure composite are the superimposition of the individual monolayers of 2 D CCA. The reflection spectrum of the layer-by-layer heterostructure composite membrane showed that two peaks of reflection curve located in near ultraviolet region and visible region respectively, and the RGO sheet have no influence on the peak position and shape of reflection curve of the Ph C. The RGO improved the electrical conductivity of the layer-by-layer heterostructure composite. The layer-by-layer heterostructure composite showed promising potential for the applications as sensors and optoelectronic devices.

Near-perfect microlenses based on graphene microbubbles

Microbubbles acting as lenses are interesting for optical and photonic applications such as volumetric displays,optical resonators,integration of photonic components onto chips,high-resolution spectroscopy,lithography,and imaging.However,stable,rationally designed,and uniform microbubbles on substrates such as silicon chips are challenging because of the random nature of microbubble formation.We describe the fabrication of elastic microbubbles with a precise control of volume and curvature based on femtosecond laser irradiated graphene oxide.We demonstrate that the graphene microbubbles possess a near-perfect curvature that allows them to function as reflective microlenses for focusing broadband white light into an ultrahigh aspect ratio diffraction-limited photonic jet without chromatic aberration.Our results provide a pathway for integration of graphene microbubbles as lenses for nanophotonic components for miniaturized lab-on-a-chip devices along with applications in high-resolution spectroscopy and imaging.