Manipulating infrared photons using plasmons in transparent graphene superlattices

Manipulating infrared photons using plasmons in transparent graphene superlattices

| Hugen Yan, Xuesong Li, Bhupesh Chandra, George Tulevski, Yanqing Wu, Marcus Freitag, Wenjuan Zhu, Phaedon Avouris*, and Fengnian Xia*
Researchers have demonstrated transparent graphene superlattices that can manipulate infrared photons using plasmons. These superlattices are formed by depositing alternating graphene layers and insulating layers, then patterning them into 3D photonic-crystal-like structures. The collective oscillation of Dirac fermions in these superlattices is nonclassical, with enhanced plasmonic resonance frequency and magnitude compared to conventional semiconductor superlattices. This property enables the creation of far-infrared notch filters with 8.2 dB rejection and terahertz linear polarizers with 9.5 dB extinction, using only five graphene layers. An unpatterned superlattice can shield up to 97.5% of electromagnetic radiation below 1.2 THz. The study also opens avenues for other transparent mid- and far-infrared photonic devices. Graphene's strong interaction with light across a wide wavelength range makes it promising for far-infrared and terahertz optoelectronics. The light-graphene interaction is described by the Drude model, with the Drude weight depending on the Fermi velocity and carrier density. The study reports the interaction of far-infrared light with wafer-scale graphene superlattices, showing that carrier oscillations in these superlattices are distinct from those in conventional semiconductor superlattices, despite arising from the same Coulomb interaction. The fabrication process involves multiple layer deposition steps and a single lithography step. The superlattice consists of stacks of circular graphene disks arranged in a triangular lattice. The measured relative light transmission from ultraviolet to mid-infrared is close to unity due to the Pauli-blocking effect. The extinction in transmission is related to the dynamical conductivity, with measurements showing that the extinction increases with carrier density. The study demonstrates that distributing carriers into multiple graphene layers enhances plasmonic resonance frequency and magnitude. The plasmonic resonance frequency in graphene superlattices is proportional to the layer number, indicating uniform doping. The scattering width remains uniform, confirming the quality of the graphene. An unpatterned superlattice with five graphene layers achieves up to 97.5% extinction at frequencies below 1.2 THz, making it effective for microwave and terahertz shielding. The study also introduces plasmonic resonances in graphene superlattices by patterning them into microdisks arranged in a triangular lattice. The plasmonic resonance frequency in graphene disks is proportional to the carrier density to the 1/4 power, unlike conventional 2-DEG. The study shows that distributing Dirac Fermions into multiple layers increases the plasmonic resonance frequency, a phenomenon not explained by classical plasmon theory. The unique behavior is attributed to the massless nature of Dirac Fermions in graphene, which requires quantum mechanical understanding. The study demonstrates practical photonic devices using only five graphene layers, with high carrier density and mobility. The superResearchers have demonstrated transparent graphene superlattices that can manipulate infrared photons using plasmons. These superlattices are formed by depositing alternating graphene layers and insulating layers, then patterning them into 3D photonic-crystal-like structures. The collective oscillation of Dirac fermions in these superlattices is nonclassical, with enhanced plasmonic resonance frequency and magnitude compared to conventional semiconductor superlattices. This property enables the creation of far-infrared notch filters with 8.2 dB rejection and terahertz linear polarizers with 9.5 dB extinction, using only five graphene layers. An unpatterned superlattice can shield up to 97.5% of electromagnetic radiation below 1.2 THz. The study also opens avenues for other transparent mid- and far-infrared photonic devices. Graphene's strong interaction with light across a wide wavelength range makes it promising for far-infrared and terahertz optoelectronics. The light-graphene interaction is described by the Drude model, with the Drude weight depending on the Fermi velocity and carrier density. The study reports the interaction of far-infrared light with wafer-scale graphene superlattices, showing that carrier oscillations in these superlattices are distinct from those in conventional semiconductor superlattices, despite arising from the same Coulomb interaction. The fabrication process involves multiple layer deposition steps and a single lithography step. The superlattice consists of stacks of circular graphene disks arranged in a triangular lattice. The measured relative light transmission from ultraviolet to mid-infrared is close to unity due to the Pauli-blocking effect. The extinction in transmission is related to the dynamical conductivity, with measurements showing that the extinction increases with carrier density. The study demonstrates that distributing carriers into multiple graphene layers enhances plasmonic resonance frequency and magnitude. The plasmonic resonance frequency in graphene superlattices is proportional to the layer number, indicating uniform doping. The scattering width remains uniform, confirming the quality of the graphene. An unpatterned superlattice with five graphene layers achieves up to 97.5% extinction at frequencies below 1.2 THz, making it effective for microwave and terahertz shielding. The study also introduces plasmonic resonances in graphene superlattices by patterning them into microdisks arranged in a triangular lattice. The plasmonic resonance frequency in graphene disks is proportional to the carrier density to the 1/4 power, unlike conventional 2-DEG. The study shows that distributing Dirac Fermions into multiple layers increases the plasmonic resonance frequency, a phenomenon not explained by classical plasmon theory. The unique behavior is attributed to the massless nature of Dirac Fermions in graphene, which requires quantum mechanical understanding. The study demonstrates practical photonic devices using only five graphene layers, with high carrier density and mobility. The super
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[slides and audio] Tunable infrared plasmonic devices using graphene%2Finsulator stacks.