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Recent developments in graphene-based optical modulators

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Abstract

Graphene has shown promising perspectives in optical active components due to the large active-control of its permittivity-variation. This paper systematically reviews the recent developments of graphene-based optical modulators, including material property, different integration schemes, single-layer graphene-based modulator, multi-layer and few-layer graphene-based modulators, corresponding figure-of-merits, wavelength/temperature tolerance, and graphene-based fiber-optic modulator. The different treatments for graphene’s isotropic and anisotropic property were also discussed. The results showed graphene is an excellent material for enhancing silicon’s weak modulation capability after it is integrated into the silicon platform, and has great potentials for complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) compatible optical devices, showing significant influence on optical interconnects in future integrated optoelectronic circuits.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Information Science and Electronics Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China

    Ran Hao, Jiamin Jin, Xinchang Wei, Xiaofeng Jin, Xianmin Zhang & Erping Li

Authors
  1. Ran Hao
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  2. Jiamin Jin
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  3. Xinchang Wei
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  4. Xiaofeng Jin
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  5. Xianmin Zhang
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  6. Erping Li
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Ran Hao or Erping Li.

Additional information

Ran Hao (M’11) received his Ph.D. degree in physics from University Paris XI, France in December, 2010. And he received his second Ph.D. degree in photonics from Wuhan National Laboratory for optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, China in 2011. He is currently an assistant professor in Department of Information Science & Electronic Engineering, Zhejiang University, China. He has won the Distinguished Young Scholar Award in 2011 and the Excellent Young Faculty Awards Program (Zijin Plan) in 2012 at Zhejiang University. His current research interests include nanoplasmonics, nanophotonics, nanofabrication, photonic crystals, slow light phenomena and graphene photonics. He has published more than 35 international journal papers and more than 20 international conference papers in the field of photonics. Dr. Hao is a member of the Optical Society of America and a member of IEEE.

Jiamin Jin receieved her Bachelors degree with specialization in communication engineering from Communication University of China, Beijing, China, in 2012. She is currently pursuing a Masters degree at Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China. Her research interests are focused on graphene based modulator and wideband graphene slow light waveguide.

Xingchang Wei (M’01-SM’09) received the Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering from Xi’an University of Electronic Science and Technology, China, in 2001. From 2001 to 2010, he has been with the ASTAR Institute of High Performance Computing, Singapore, as a research fellow, senior research engineer, and then a research scientist. He joined Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China, as a full professor in 2010. His main research interests include 3D IC analysis, power integrity and signal integrity simulation and design, EMC modelling and simulation, and the development of fast algorithms for computational electromagnetics.

He authored over 40 papers published in prestigious international journals and conferences. He was the recipient of the 2007 Singapore IES (Institution of Engineers) Prestigious Engineering Achievement Award for his contribution on the development of a novel electromagnetic compatibility simulation facility. He was the Co-Chair of Technical Program Committee of 2010 IEEE Electrical Design of Advanced Packaging & Systems Symposium.

Xiaofeng Jin received the B.S. degree in optical engineering from Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China, in 1990, the M.S. degree in underwater acoustic engineering from China Ship Building Institute, Jiangsu, China, in 1993, and the Ph.D. degree in optical engineering from Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China, in 1996. In 1999, he was appointed as an associate professor at Department of Information and Electronic Engineering, Zhejiang University and full professor, in 2006. His current research interests include microwave photonics, photonic circuits, components and modules, and smart sensing systems.

Xianmin Zhang (M’07) received the B.S. and the Ph.D. degrees in physical electronics and optoelectronics, respectively. He was appointed as an associate professor of information and electronic engineering at Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China, in 1994 and full professor, in 1999. He is currently the Chair of Department of Information Science and Electronic Engineering, Zhejiang University. His research interests include microwave photonics, optic fiber, and optic communication.

Erping Li (S’91, M’92, SM’01, F’08) received his Ph.D. degree from Sheffield, U.K, in 1992 in electrical engineering. From 1989 to 1992, he was a Research Associate/Fellow in School of Electronic and Information Technology at Sheffield Hallam University. Between 1993 and 1999, he was a Senior Research Fellow, Principal Research Engineer, Associate Professor at Singapore Research Institute and Industry. In 2000, he joined the Singapore National Research Institute of High Performance Computing as a Principal Scientist (Full Professor) and Director of the Electronic and Photonics Department. He holds the appointment of Chair (Thousand Talents Program) Professor in Zhejiang University, China. He was the Guest Professor of Xi’an Jiaotong University and Peking University in China, External Academy Advisor to City University of Hong Kong, Global Advisory Board to KAIST, Korea. He authored or coauthored over 200 papers published in the referred international journals.

Dr. Li is a Fellow of IEEE, and a Fellow of Electromagnetics Academy, USA. He is the recipient of IEEE EMC Technical Achievement Award, Singapore IES Prestigious Engineering Achievement Award, and Changjiang Chair Professorship Award from the Ministry of Education in China, IEEE Sustained Service Award for EMC. He was the IEEE EMC Distinguished Lecturer from 2007 to 2008. He served as an Associate Editor for the IEEE Microwave and Wireless Components Letters from 2006–2008 and served Guest Editor for 2006 and 2010 IEEE Transactiosn on EMC Special Issues, Guest Editor for 2010 IEEE Transactions on MTT APMC Special Issue. He is currently an Associate Editor for IEEE Transactions on CPMT and IEEE Transactions ON EMC. He is the Founding Member of IEEE MTT-RF Nanotechnology Committee. He has been a General Chair and Technical Chair for many international conferences. He was the President for 2006 International Zurich Symposium on EMC, the General Chair for the 2008 &2010 Asia-Pacific EMC Symposium, General Chair for 2010 IEEE Symposium on Electrical Design for Advanced Packaging Systems and the Chairman of the IEEE EMC Singapore Chapter for 2005–2006. He has been invited to give numerous invited talks and plenary speeches at various international conferences and forums.

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Hao, R., Jin, J., Wei, X. et al. Recent developments in graphene-based optical modulators. Front. Optoelectron. 7, 277–292 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12200-014-0424-4

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