Open AccessBroadband graphene electro-optic modulators with sub-wavelength thickness
Author(s) -
C.-C. Lee,
Seiya Suzuki,
Wanyan Xie,
Thomas R. Schibli
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - Uncategorized
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.20.005264
Subject(s) - materials science , optical modulator , optics , graphene , optoelectronics , amplitude modulation , electro optic modulator , modulation (music) , phase modulation , astronomical interferometer , wavelength , frequency modulation , interferometry , radio frequency , telecommunications , phase noise , physics , computer science , nanotechnology , acoustics
Graphene's featureless optical absorption, ultrahigh carrier mobility, and variable optical absorption by an applied gate voltage enable a new breed of optical modulators with broad optical and electrical bandwidths. Here we report on an electro-optic modulator that integrates single-layer graphene in a sub-wavelength thick, reflective modulator structure. These modulators provide a large degree of design freedom, which allows tailoring of their optical properties to specific needs. Current devices feature an active aperture ~100 µm, and provide uniform modulation with flat frequency response from 1 Hz to >100 MHz. These novel, low insertion-loss graphene-based modulators offer solutions to a variety of high-speed amplitude modulation tasks that require optical amplitude modulation without phase distortions, a flat frequency response, or ultra-thin geometries, such as for controlling monolithic, high-repetition rate mode-locked lasers or active interferometers.