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We propose an active plasmonic device based on graphene. Highly confined plasmonic waves in monolayer graphene are efficiently excited using an etched diffractive grating on silicon. The guided-wave resonance of the combined structure creates a sharp notch on the normal-incidence transmission spectra, as the incident optical wave couples to the graphene plasmonic wave. This structure can be used as a highly tunable optical filter or a broad-band modulator because the resonant wavelength can be quickly tuned over a wide wavelength range by a small change in the Fermi energy level of the graphene. In this paper, we analyze the performance of this device with finite-difference time-domain simulations. We compare the proposed structure with recently demonstrated graphene nanoribbons based on bound plasmonic oscillations.

The one-dimensional character of electrons, phonons and excitons in individual single-walled carbon nanotubes leads to extremely anisotropic electronic, thermal and optical properties. However, despite significant efforts to develop ways to produce large-scale architectures of aligned nanotubes, macroscopic manifestations of such properties remain limited. Here, we show that large (>cm(2)) monodomain films of aligned single-walled carbon nanotubes can be prepared using slow vacuum filtration. The produced films are globally aligned within ±1.5° (a nematic order parameter of ∼1) and are highly packed, containing 1 × 10(6) nanotubes in a cross-sectional area of 1 μm(2). The method works for nanotubes synthesized by various methods, and film thickness is controllable from a few nanometres to ∼100 nm. We use the approach to create ideal polarizers in the terahertz frequency range and, by combining the method with recently developed sorting techniques, highly aligned and chirality-enriched nanotube thin-film devices. Semiconductor-enriched devices exhibit polarized light emission and polarization-dependent photocurrent, as well as anisotropic conductivities and transistor action with high on/off ratios.

Graphene and hexagonal boron nitride are typical conductor and insulator, respectively, while their hybrids hexagonal boron carbonitride are promising as a semiconductor. Here we demonstrate a direct chemical conversion reaction, which systematically converts the hexagonal carbon lattice of graphene to boron nitride, making it possible to produce uniform boron nitride and boron carbonitride structures without disrupting the structural integrity of the original graphene templates. We synthesize high-quality atomic layer films with boron-, nitrogen-and carbon-containing atomic layers with full range of compositions. Using this approach, the electrical resistance, carrier mobilities and bandgaps of these atomic layers can be tuned from conductor to semiconductor to insulator. Combining this technique with lithography, local conversion could be realized at the nanometre scale, enabling the fabrication of in-plane atomic layer structures consisting of graphene, boron nitride and boron carbonitride. This is a step towards scalable synthesis of atomically thin two-dimensional integrated circuits.

Atomically thin photodetectors based on 2D materials have attracted great interest due to their potential as highly energy-efficient integrated devices. However, photoinduced carrier generation in these media is relatively poor due to low optical absorption, limiting device performance. Current methods for overcoming this problem, such as reducing contact resistances or back gating, tend to increase dark current and suffer slow response times. Here, we realize the avalanche effect in a 2D material-based photodetector and show that avalanche multiplication can greatly enhance the device response of an ultrathin InSe-based photodetector. This is achieved by exploiting the large Schottky barrier formed between InSe and Al electrodes, enabling the application of a large bias voltage. Plasmonic enhancement of the photosensitivity, achieved by patterning arrays of Al nanodisks onto the InSe layer, further improves device efficiency. With an external quantum efficiency approaching 866%, a dark current in the picoamp range, and a fast response time of 87 μs, this atomic layer device exhibits multiple significant advances in overall performance for this class of devices.