Abstract: Described herein are optical devices based on two-dimensional materials and methods for making such devices. In particular, the articles described herein are useful in the control and modulation of light via graphene mono- or multilayers. methods for improved transfer of graphene from formation substrates to target substrates. The improved articles provide exceedingly high modulation depths in vis-NIR light transmission, with small insertion losses, thus revealing the potential of graphene for fast electro-optics within such a technologically important range of optical frequencies.

Abstract: A metallic ring is made of two metals, wherein one metal forms a major arcuate portion and the other a minor arcuate portion of the ring, thereby forming a thermocouple-type structure as a result of the two inter-metallic junctions. The metallic ring supports a surface plasmon whose energy is matched to the energy, i.e. wavelength, of an incident light beam so that the oscillating electromagnetic field of the light resonates with the plasmon. The resonating plasmon causes a temperature difference to arise between the two inter-metallic junctions in the ring. The different Seebeck coefficients of the two metals results in the temperature difference causing a net current to flow around the ring, which in turn generates a magnetic field. Such a thermoelectric metamaterial ring transforms high frequency optical energy into long duration magnetic radiation pulses in the terahertz range.

Abstract: An infrared photoconversion device comprising a collector with at least an active layer made of a single sheet of doped single-layer, bilayer, or multilayer graphene patterned as nanodisks or nanoribbons. The single sheet of doped graphene presents high absorbance and thus, the efficiency of devices such as photovoltaic cells, photodetectors, and light emission devices can be improved by using graphene as the central absorbing or emitting element. These devices become tunable because their peak absorption or emission wavelength is changed via electrostatic doping of the graphene.

Abstract: An infrared photoconversion device comprising a collector with at least an active layer made of a single sheet of doped single-layer, bilayer, or multilayer graphene patterned as nanodisks or nanoribbons. The single sheet of doped graphene presents high absorbance and thus, the efficiency of devices such as photovoltaic cells, photodetectors, and light emission devices can be improved by using graphene as the central absorbing or emitting element. These devices become tunable because their peak absorption or emission wavelength is changed via electrostatic doping of the graphene.