A broadband modulator based on graphene/black phosphorus heterostructure with enhanced modulation depth.

Area of Science:

• Optoelectronics and Photonics
• Materials Science

Background:

• Optoelectronic devices require modulators that operate across broad spectral ranges.
• Graphene and black phosphorus are 2D materials with unique optical properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To theoretically present a broadband modulator based on a graphene/black phosphorus heterostructure.
• To achieve modulation across the visible (VIS) to mid-infrared (MIR) regions.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing the angle dependence of black phosphorus for surface plasmon polaritons (SPP) modulation in the VIS regime.
• Employing few-layer graphene films to enhance modulation depth in the near-infrared (NIR) and MIR regions.

Main Results:

• The proposed plasmonic modulator demonstrates a broad operational waveband from 400 nm to 3 μm.
• Achieved high modulation depth (MD), low insertion loss (IL), large 3-dB modulation bandwidth, and low power consumption.

Conclusions:

• The graphene/black phosphorus heterostructure modulator extends the operational waveband of optoelectronic devices.
• This work promotes potential future applications of hybridized 2D materials in optoelectronics.