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Highly efficient graphene terahertz modulator with tunable electromagnetically induced transparency-like transmission
Myunghwan Kim1,2, Seong-Han Kim1, Chul Kang1
1Division of Applied Photonics System Research, Advanced Photonics Research Institute, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju, 61005, South Korea.
Scientific Reports
|April 24, 2023
Summary
We developed a high-performance graphene optical modulator using a photonic crystal waveguide. This design enhances light-graphene interaction, achieving 98% modulation depth with low energy consumption for terahertz frequencies.
Area of Science:
- Photonics
- Materials Science
- Optoelectronics
Background:
- Graphene's unique electronic properties, including high carrier mobility and tunable permittivity, make it promising for optical modulators.
- A key challenge in graphene-based optical modulators is the weak light-matter interaction, limiting modulation depth and increasing energy consumption.
- Existing designs struggle to balance high performance with low power requirements.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose and demonstrate a high-performance graphene-based optical modulator with enhanced light-graphene interaction.
- To achieve a high modulation depth at terahertz frequencies with significantly low energy consumption.
- To leverage the electromagnetically-induced-transparency-like (EIT-like) phenomenon for improved modulator performance.
Main Methods:
- Integration of a graphene-based waveguide with a photonic crystal structure.
- Engineering the photonic crystal to support a high quality-factor guiding mode.
- Utilizing the EIT-like transmission spectrum generated by the coupled system to enhance light-graphene interaction.
- Characterizing the modulator's performance, including modulation depth and energy consumption, by varying the graphene Fermi level.
Main Results:
- The proposed device exhibits an electromagnetically-induced-transparency-like (EIT-like) transmission spectrum at terahertz frequencies.
- The high quality-factor guiding mode significantly enhances light-graphene interaction.
- A high modulation depth of 98% was achieved with a minimal Fermi level shift of 0.05 eV.
- The modulator demonstrates potential for low energy consumption.
Conclusions:
- The proposed photonic crystal waveguide structure effectively enhances light-graphene interaction for optical modulation.
- The EIT-like phenomenon provides a pathway to high-performance, low-power graphene-based optical modulators.
- This scheme is suitable for active optical devices demanding high efficiency and minimal power usage, particularly at terahertz frequencies.
