2D materials open opportunities for optical modulators

Optical modulators are light-manipulating devices used in optical communication, interconnects, computing, sensing, and more. The recent emergence of two-dimensional materials has resulted in the development of optical modulators that take advantage of their unique properties.

Gan et al. reviewed optical modulators that have been built with 2D materials and discussed how the properties of the materials affect the light-matter interactions, mechanisms, and device structures of the modulators. These devices operate on a wide spectral range, from visible to terahertz.

The authors presented proof-of-concept modulators that they believe have many future applications. Some 2D materials-based optical modulators even outperform modulators based on conventional materials.

“The review might inspire the readers to develop various advanced 2D materials-based optical modulators for different applications, such as on-chip optical interconnects, ultrafast signal processing in an all-fiber system, and free-space communications in the mid-infrared spectral range,” said author Xuetao Gan.

The researchers expect the mid-infrared and terahertz modulators will also be used in chemical bond spectroscopy and environmental or health sensing. 2D materials-based modulators integrated on photonic structures will be applicable to fiber and chip optical communications.

The discussed 2D materials-based optical modulators in this review have the possibility to be produced in large scale and with low cost, which will attract interest from various industries.

The researchers hope their review inspires the development of other photonic technology based on 2D materials, such as photodetectors and light emitters.

Source: “2D materials-enabled optical modulators: From visible to terahertz spectral range,” by Xuetao Gan, Dirk Englund, Dries Van Thourhout, and Jianlin Zhao, Applied Physics Reviews (2022). The article can be accessed at https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0078416 .