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Journal of Physics D Applied Physics

Low-threshold optical bistability with multilayer graphene-covering Otto configuration

Hengliang Wang, Jipeng Wu, Jun Guo, Leyong Jiang, Yuanjiang Xiang, Shuangchun Wen

Published May 26, 2016• 25 citations
Publisher

Abstract

In this paper, we propose a modified Otto configuration to realize tunable and low-threshold optical bistability at terahertz frequencies by attaching multilayer graphene sheets to a nonlinear substrate interface. Our work demonstrates that the threshold of optical bistability can be markedly reduced (three orders of magnitude) by covering the nonlinear substrate with multilayer graphene sheets, due to strong local field enhancement with the excitation of surface plasmons. We present the influences of the Fermi energy of graphene, the incident angle, the thickness of air gap and the relaxation time of graphene on the hysteresis phenomenon and give a way to optimize the surface plasmon resonance, which will enable us to further lower the minimal power requirements for realizing optical bistability due to the strong interaction of light with graphene sheets. These results are promising for realization of terahertz optical switches, optical modulators and logical devices.

DOI
10.1088/0022-3727/49/25/255306

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In this paper, we propose a modified Otto configuration to realize tunable and low-threshold optical bistability at terahertz frequencies by attaching multilayer graphene sheets to a nonlinear substrate interface. Our work demonstrates that the threshold of optical bistability can be markedly reduced (three orders of magnitude) by covering the nonlinear substrate with multilayer graphene sheets, due to strong local field enhancement with the excitation of surface plasmons. We present the influences of the Fermi energy of graphene, the incident angle, the thickness of air gap and the relaxation time of graphene on the hysteresis phenomenon and give a way to optimize the surface plasmon resonance, which will enable us to further lower the minimal power requirements for realizing optical bistability due to the strong interaction of light with graphene sheets. These results are promising for realization of terahertz optical switches, optical modulators and logical devices.
We propose a modified Kretschmann-Raether configuration to realize the low threshold optical bistable devices at the terahertz frequencies. The metal layer is replaced by the dielectric sandwich structure with the insertion of graphene, and this configuration can support TM-polarization surface electromagnetic wave. The surface plasmon resonance is strongly dependent on the Fermi-level of graphene and the thickness of the sandwich structure. It is found that the switching-up and switching-down intensities required to observe the optical bistable behavior are lowered markedly due to the excitation of the graphene surface plasmons, thus making this configuration a prime candidate for experimental investigation at the terahertz range. And the switching threshold value can be further reduced by decreasing the Fermi-level or increasing the thickness of sandwich structure, hence providing a new way for realizing tunable optical bistable devices. Finally, the optical bistability at higher terahertz frequency and the influence of relaxation time under the actual experimental condition on Fermi-level are discussed.
A proposal on optical bistability at ultralow switching threshold and lower Fermi-level of graphene around 2 THz is implemented analytically through the proposed long-range surface plasmon resonance configuration by employing local field enhancement effects owing to the excitation of a graphene symmetric mode within graphene sheets. Reported threshold intensity for the optical bistability to date is 1.6 kW/cm2 within the terahertz region and 1.83 MW/cm2 at near-IR range. Whereas the proposed scheme explores the possibility of reducing this threshold down to 143.68 W/cm2, this technique proffers potential applications in nanoillumination, optical memory, and all-optical switching at an ultra-low threshold.
With the experimental corroboration employing a transfer matrix method, an analytical observation of optical bistability using long-range surface plasmon resonance (LRSPR) through the external magnetic field is presented for a very low threshold value. The proposed analytical method has been verified with the reported experimental data provided by Liu et al. [ Curr. Appl. Phys. 29 , 66 ( 2021 ) 1567-1739 10.1016/j.cap.2021.06.003 ]. Now theoretical analysis is further extended in the proposed multilayered structure comprising an InAs layer sandwiched between two graphene layers, whose electromagnetic response at 2 THz can be regulated by employing a magnetic field and may tune the optical bistability without modifying the geometry or the characteristics of the structure. The observed threshold intensity for the switch-up is 6.6615×104W/cm2 at 0.001 T; thus, this analytical approach is able to achieve 2 orders lower threshold for magnetically tunable upswitching of the optical bistable process. This suggested magnetically adjustable optical bistable arrangement gives a possibility for the comprehension of optical logic gates, optic memory, opto-transistors, and switches at a low switching threshold due to extraordinary features of the composite layers due to local field amplification of the graphene layer.
The optical bistability, tristability and multistability are explored in arrays of graphene. The arrays are periodically arranged spatially by single sheets of graphene. Optical bistability could be achieved with a strong enough incident intensity of light wave. The thresholds of optical bistability and the intervals between the upper and lower thresholds change with the surface conductivity of graphene and the incident wavelength. By increasing the intensity of incident light, tristability and multistability can be induced as well. Furthermore, the thresholds of bistability, tristability and multistability can be regulated via the chemical potential of graphene. This study may have potential applications in optical logic gates, all-optical switches and photomemory.
We investigate theoretically the optical bistability from a Fabry-Perot cavity with graphene in the terahertz (THz) frequency. It is demonstrated that the optical bistablility in this cavity can be realized due to the electric field enhancement and the giant third-order nonlinear conductivity of graphene. The optical bistable behavior is strongly dependent on the transmission amplitude of the mirror and the position of the graphene in the cavity. It is especially important that the hysterical behaviors of the transmitted light rely on the optical conductivity of graphene, making the Fabry-Perot cavity to be a good candidate for dynamic tunable optical bistable device in the THz frequencies, owing to the possibility of high tunability of graphene conductivity by means of external electrostatic or magnetostatic field.
In this paper, we propose an optical bistable structure based on a single graphene layer sandwiched between two magnetooptical layers which are located between two photonic crystals. It is indicated that such structure shows optical bistability behaviors, in the near infrared range, which can be efficiently controlled with small external magnetic fields lower than 1.5 mT. Such weak external magnetic fields cannot affect the graphene layer and the dependence of bistability phenomenon on the magnetic field results from the presence of magnetooptical layers and their influences on the resonance frequency of the structure. Both switch-up and switch-down thresholds can be significantly adjusted by variation of the external magnetic field. Furthermore, the width of hysteresis loop enhances with increasing the magnetic field. To obtain a high tunability of bistability with external magnetic fields, the thickness of magnetooptical layers should be larger than a special value. It is also found that the increase of the Fermi energy level of graphene leads to the enhancement of both switch-up and switch-down thresholds as well as the width of the hysteresis loop. Finally, it is confirmed that optical bistability can be manipulated by changing the incident illumination angle.