Abstract-A Graphene-Based Plasmonic Platform for Reconfigurable Terahertz Nanodevices

Pai-Yen Chen , Haiyu Huang , Deji Akinwande , and Andrea Alu

http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/ph500046r


We propose here a new platform to realize a plethora of graphene-based plasmonic nanodevices for frequency-agile terahertz (THz) frontend circuits. We demonstrate that a class of hybrid electronic-plasmonic nanodevices combining active graphene field-effect transistors (GFET) and graphene plasmonic waveguides (GPWG) supporting tightly-confined propagation of THz signals, with tailored phase velocity and characteristic impedance controlled by the gate and drain voltages of GFET. We propose a variety of reconfigurable graphene-based nanodevices based on this general architecture, including reconfigurable and electronically-programmable phase-shifters, filters, impedance transformers, modulators, and terminators. We envision the integration of these active THz circuit elements into a fully reconfigurable THz system as a fundamental step towards new design architectures and protocols for THz communication, sensing, actuation, and biomedical applications.