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.