Graphene Photonics: Light Creation, Modulation and Detection

Dr Qiaoliang Bao

Department of Materials Engineering, Monash University

1:30 pm Thursday, 9 August 2012, BA306/7 Lecture Theatre (BA Building), Hawthorn.

Graphene is well known for its extraordinary electronic properties and potential applications in nanoelectronic. Recent research has found that its photonic properties are equally remarkable. The two dimensional (2D) nature of graphene enables the design of photonic circuits with ultrathin channels, where graphene can assume different functions of light creation, routing or modulation and detection. Here we will review our recent progress to develop graphene photonic devices, which include mode-locked laser, light modulator and photodetector. Firstly, I would like to review our initiative works on graphene mode-locked lasers. Due to broadband saturable absorption in visible-to-near-infrared range, wide-band tuneable lasers were invented to generate ultra-short pulses in telecommunication C band (around 1550 nm) as well as even short near-infrared wavelength at 1050 nm. Secondly, I will
experimentally and theoretically explain the interaction between graphene and transverse electromagnetic waves. A novel broadband polarizer from visible to near-infrared was demonstrated with extinctions ratios of up to 27 dB in the telecommunications band. Last, I will introduce a few ideas on graphene
plasmonics and graphene-based photodetectors.

Back to 2012 programme