Low-Bias THz Amplitude Modulator Based on Split-Ring Resonators and Graphene

Riccardo Degl'Innocenti , Davide Stephan Jessop , Yash Diptesh Shah , Juraj Sibik , J Axel Zeitler , Piran Ravichandran Kidambi , Stephan Hofmann , Harvey E Beere , and David Ritchie


Abstract

Split-ring resonators represent the ideal route to achieve optical control of the incident light at THz frequencies. These sub-wavelength metamaterial elements exhibit broad resonances that can be easily tuned lithographically. We realized a design based on the interplay between the resonances of metallic split-rings and the electronic properties of a monolayer graphene integrated in a single device. By varying the major carrier concentration of graphene, an active modulation of the optical intensity was achieved in the frequency range between 2.2 THz and 3.1 THz, achieving a maximum modulation depth of 18\%, with a bias as low as 0.5 V.

This study was performed using TeraView's TPI Imaga 2000 system. (TeraView, Cambridge, UK)

Full Article: http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/nn406136c