All-Optical Modulation Technology Based on 2D Layered Materials

Abstract

In the advancement of photonics technologies, all-optical systems are highly demanded in ultrafast photonics, signal processing, optical sensing and optical communication systems. All-optical devices are the core elements to realize the next generation of photonics integration system and optical interconnection. Thus, the exploration of new optoelectronics materials that exhibit different optical properties is a highlighted research direction. The emerging two-dimensional (2D) materials such as graphene, black phosphorus (BP), transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) and MXene have proved great potential in the evolution of photonics technologies. The optical properties of 2D materials comprising the energy bandgap, third-order nonlinearity, nonlinear absorption and thermo-optics coefficient can be tailored for different optical applications. Over the past decade, the explorations of 2D materials in photonics applications have extended to all-optical modulators, all-optical switches, an all-optical wavelength converter, covering the visible, near-infrared and Terahertz wavelength range. Herein, we review different types of 2D materials, their fabrication processes and optical properties. In addition, we also summarize the recent advances of all-optical modulation based on 2D materials. Finally, we conclude on the perspectives on and challenges of the future development of the 2D material-based all-optical devices.

Mid-infrared all-optical modulators based on an acetylene-filled hollow-core fiber

“…With respect to the effects of nonlinear absorption and refraction, the former is relatively weak in gas-filled HCF even with light intensity of up to hundreds of MW/cm 2 level 34 . For the latter effect, the nonlinear rafractive index (n2) of gas is in the ~10 -19 cm 2 /W level, which is nearly 7-15 orders lower than that of solid state materials (~10 -4 to 10 -12 cm 2 /W level) 35,36 . Therefore, these two effects in gas-filled HCFs are indeed much weaker than in solid state materials.…”

Infrared Light Emission Devices Based on Two-Dimensional Materials

“…These materials have attracted considerable attention in photonics and optoelectronic fields due to their advantageous properties, such as high room temperature carrier mobility [ 53 , 54 ], tunable bandgap [ 55 , 56 ], fast response speed [ 57 , 58 ], ultra-broadband optical response, and absorption [ 59 , 60 ]. Based on these fascinating properties, some representative progresses about IR technology have been exhibited, which prove that 2D materials hold great potential for high-performance IR photonics and optoelectronic applications [ 61 , 62 , 63 , 64 ]. Additionally, combined with doping [ 39 , 65 ], heterostructures [ 66 , 67 ], and plasmon techniques [ 68 , 69 ], the properties of these materials can be efficiently modified, which further enhance the potential of 2D-material-based IR photonics and optoelectronic applications for IR light emission device applications in particular.…”

Searching guidelines for scalable and controllable design of multifunctional materials and hybrid interfaces: Status and perspective

“…Recent achievements in the sense of substantial amounts of energy collected by applying functionalized materials and metamaterials from the surrounding environment or intentionally supplied sources (external excitation) are used in various energy-harvesting modalities (Phillips, 2021), and the key benefits of boosting include 1) hybrid photovoltaic-thermal cells for 24 h/day power generation (as a continuous energy flow) at a density of 10-100 mW/m 2 nighttime via a radiative coolingbased thermoelectric generator (Assawaworrarit et al, 2022); 2) spatial light (electro-and thermal-optical) sensing and modulators based on monolithic organic chromophores (JRD1) (Benea-Chelmus et al, 2021), oxide semiconductors, and 2D materials for digital or analog signal processing at terahertz (THz) frequencies (Yang et al, 2022); 3) different module configurations for single and multijunctions (or tandem solar cells) with complementary bandgaps and absorption edges (Martinho, 2021;Yamaguchi et al, 2021); 4) flexible and hybrid photovoltaic-piezo-triboelectric nanogenerators that efficiently convert harvested sunlight and mechanical energy into electricity (Chen et al, 2020;Wu et al, 2021); and 5) nanosized resonators and broadband metamaterial absorbers with embedded high electron mobility transistors and reconfigurable design operating at frequencies ranging from a few kHz to hundreds of THz (Yang et al, 2019;Yu et al, 2019).…”