No Arabic abstract
We propose a two-dimensional plasmonic platform - periodically patterned monolayer graphene - which hosts topological one-way edge states operable up to infrared frequencies. We classify the band topology of this plasmonic system under time-reversal-symmetry breaking induced by a static magnetic field. At finite doping, the system supports topologically nontrivial bandgaps with mid-gap frequencies up to tens of terahertz. By the bulk-edge correspondence, these bandgaps host topologically protected one-way edge plasmons, which are immune to backscattering from structural defects and subject only to intrinsic material and radiation loss. Our findings reveal a promising approach to engineer topologically robust chiral plasmonic devices and demonstrate a realistic example of high-frequency topological edge state.
Plasmonics takes advantage of the collective response of electrons to electromagnetic waves, enabling dramatic scaling of optical devices beyond the diffraction limit. Here, we demonstrate the mid-infrared (4 to 15 microns) plasmons in deeply scaled graphene nanostructures down to 50 nm, more than 100 times smaller than the on-resonance light wavelength in free space. We reveal, for the first time, the crucial damping channels of graphene plasmons via its intrinsic optical phonons and scattering from the edges. A plasmon lifetime of 20 femto-seconds and smaller is observed, when damping through the emission of an optical phonon is allowed. Furthermore, the surface polar phonons in SiO2 substrate underneath the graphene nanostructures lead to a significantly modified plasmon dispersion and damping, in contrast to a non-polar diamond-like-carbon (DLC) substrate. Much reduced damping is realized when the plasmon resonance frequencies are close to the polar phonon frequencies. Our study paves the way for applications of graphene in plasmonic waveguides, modulators and detectors in an unprecedentedly broad wavelength range from sub-terahertz to mid-infrared.
Superlattices are artificial periodic nanostructures which can control the flow of electrons. Their operation typically relies on the periodic modulation of the electric potential in the direction of electron wave propagation. Here we demonstrate transparent graphene superlattices which can manipulate infrared photons utilizing the collective oscillations of carriers, i.e., plasmons of the ensemble of multiple graphene layers. The superlattice is formed by depositing alternating wafer-scale graphene sheets and thin insulating layers, followed by patterning them all together into 3-dimensional photonic-crystal-like structures. We demonstrate experimentally that the collective oscillation of Dirac fermions in such graphene superlattices is unambiguously nonclassical: compared to doping single layer graphene, distributing carriers into multiple graphene layers strongly enhances the plasmonic resonance frequency and magnitude, which is fundamentally different from that in a conventional semiconductor superlattice. This property allows us to construct widely tunable far-infrared notch filters with 8.2 dB rejection ratio and terahertz linear polarizers with 9.5 dB extinction ratio, using a superlattice with merely five graphene atomic layers. Moreover, an unpatterned superlattice shields up to 97.5% of the electromagnetic radiations below 1.2 terahertz. This demonstration also opens an avenue for the realization of other transparent mid- and far-infrared photonic devices such as detectors, modulators, and 3-dimensional meta-material systems.
The decay dynamics of excited carriers in graphene have attracted wide scientific attention, as the gapless Dirac electronic band structure opens up relaxation channels that are not allowed in conventional materials. We report Fermi-level-dependent mid-infrared emission in graphene originating from a previously unobserved decay channel: hot plasmons generated from optically excited carriers. The observed Fermi-level dependence rules out Planckian light emission mechanisms and is consistent with the calculated plasmon emission spectra in photoinverted graphene. Evidence for bright hot plasmon emission is further supported by Fermi-level-dependent and polarization-dependent resonant emission from graphene plasmonic nanoribbon arrays under pulsed laser excitation. Spontaneous plasmon emission is a bright emission process as our calculations for our experimental conditions indicate that the spectral flux of spontaneously generated plasmons is several orders of magnitude higher than blackbody emission at a temperature of several thousand Kelvin. In this work, it is shown that a large enhancement in radiation efficiency of graphene plasmons can be achieved by decorating graphene surface with gold nanodisks, which serve as out-coupling scatterers and promote localized plasmon excitation when they are resonant with the incoming excitation light. These observations set a framework for exploration of ultrafast and ultrabright mid-infrared emission processes and light sources.
We report on infrared (IR) nanoscopy of 2D plasmon excitations of Dirac fermions in graphene. This is achieved by confining mid-IR radiation at the apex of a nanoscale tip: an approach yielding two orders of magnitude increase in the value of in-plane component of incident wavevector q compared to free space propagation. At these high wavevectors, the Dirac plasmon is found to dramatically enhance the near-field interaction with mid-IR surface phonons of SiO2 substrate. Our data augmented by detailed modeling establish graphene as a new medium supporting plasmonic effects that can be controlled by gate voltage.
Graphene has raised high expectations as a low-loss plasmonic material in which the plasmon properties can be controlled via electrostatic doping. Here, we analyze realistic configurations, which produce inhomogeneous doping, in contrast to what has been so far assumed in the study of plasmons in nanostructured graphene. Specifically, we investigate backgated ribbons, co-planar ribbon pairs placed at opposite potentials, and individual ribbons subject to a uniform electric field. Plasmons in backgated ribbons and ribbon pairs are similar to those of uniformly doped ribbons, provided the Fermi energy is appropriately scaled to compensate for finite-size effects such as the divergence of the carrier density at the edges. In contrast, the plasmons of a ribbon exposed to a uniform field exhibit distinct dispersion and spatial profiles that considerably differ from uniformly doped ribbons. Our results provide a road map to understand graphene plasmons under realistic electrostatic doping conditions.