Abstract-Observation of terahertz-induced magnetooscillations in graphene

Erwin Mönch, Denis A. Bandurin, Ivan A. Dmitriev, Isabelle Y. Phinney, Ivan Yahniuk, Takashi Taniguchi, Kenji Watanabe, Pablo Jarillo-Herrero, Sergey D. Ganichev

https://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/acs.nanolett.0c01918#

When high-frequency radiation is incident upon graphene subjected to a perpendicular magnetic field, graphene absorbs incident photons by allowing transitions between nearest LLs that follow strict selection rules dictated by angular momentum conservation. Here we show a qualitative deviation from this behavior in high-quality graphene devices exposed to terahertz (THz) radiation. We demonstrate the emergence of a pronounced THz-driven photoresponse, which exhibits low-field magnetooscillations governed by the ratio of the frequency of the incoming radiation and the quasiclassical cyclotron frequency. We analyze the modifications of generated photovoltage with the radiation frequency and carrier density and demonstrate that the observed photoresponse shares a common origin with microwave-induced resistance oscillations previously observed in GaAs-based heterostructures, yet in graphene, it appears at much higher frequencies and persists above liquid nitrogen temperatures. Our observations expand the family of radiation-driven phenomena in graphene, paving the way for future studies of nonequilibrium electron transport.

Abstract-Observation of terahertz-induced magnetooscillations in graphene

Erwin Mönch, Denis A. Bandurin, Ivan A. Dmitriev, Isabelle Y. Phinney, Ivan Yahniuk, Takashi Taniguchi, Kenji Watanabe, Pablo Jarillo-Herrero, Sergey D. Ganichev

https://arxiv.org/abs/2005.01118

When high-frequency radiation is incident upon graphene subjected to a perpendicular magnetic field, graphene absorbs incident photons by allowing transitions between nearest LLs that follow strict selection rules dictated by angular momentum conservation. Here we show a qualitative deviation from this behavior in high-quality graphene devices exposed to terahertz (THz) radiation. We demonstrate the emergence of a pronounced THz-driven photoresponse, which exhibits low-field magnetooscillations governed by the ratio of the frequency of the incoming radiation and the quasiclassical cyclotron frequency. We analyze the modifications of generated photovoltage with the radiation frequency and carrier density and demonstrate that the observed photoresponse shares a common origin with microwave-induced resistance oscillations previously observed in GaAs-based heterostructures, yet in graphene, it appears at much higher frequencies and persists above liquid nitrogen temperatures. Our observations expand the family of radiation-driven phenomena in graphene and offer potential for the development of novel optoelectronic devices.

Abstract-On-chip terahertz modulation and emission with integrated graphene junctions

Joshua O. Island, Peter Kissin, Jacob Schalch, Xiaomeng Cui, Sheikh Rubaiat Ul Haque, Alex Potts, Takashi Taniguchi, Kenji Watanabe, Richard D. Averitt, Andrea F. Young

https://arxiv.org/abs/2004.02059

The efficient modulation and control of ultrafast signals on-chip is of central importance in terahertz (THz) communications and a promising route toward sub-diffraction limit THz spectroscopy. Two-dimensional (2D) materials may provide a platform for these endeavors. We explore this potential, integrating high-quality graphene p-n junctions within two types of planar transmission line circuits to modulate and emit picosecond pulses. In a coplanar stripline geometry, we demonstrate electrical modulation of THz signal transmission by 95%. In a Goubau waveguide geometry, we achieve complete gate-tunable control over THz emission from a photoexcited graphene junction. These studies inform the development of on-chip signal manipulation and highlight prospects for 2D materials in THz applications.

Abstract-Fast and Sensitive Terahertz Detection Using an Antenna-Integrated Graphene pn Junction

Sebastián Castilla, Sebastián Castilla, Bernat Terrés, Marta Autore, Leonardo Viti, Jian Li, Alexey Y. Nikitin, Ioannis,  Vangelidis,  Kenji Watanabe,  Takashi Taniguchi, Elefterios Lidorikis, Miriam S. Vitiello, Rainer Hillenbrand, Klaas-Jan Tielrooij, Frank Koppens.

https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.nanolett.8b04171

Although the detection of light at terahertz (THz) frequencies is important for a large range of applications, current detectors typically have several disadvantages in terms of sensitivity, speed, operating temperature, and spectral range. Here, we use graphene as a photoactive material to overcome all of these limitations in one device. We introduce a novel detector for terahertz radiation that exploits the photothermoelectric (PTE) effect, based on a design that employs a dual-gated, dipolar antenna with a gap of ∼100 nm. This narrow-gap antenna simultaneously creates a pn junction in a graphene channel located above the antenna and strongly concentrates the incoming radiation at this pn junction, where the photoresponse is created. We demonstrate that this novel detector has an excellent sensitivity, with a noise-equivalent power of 80 pW/ at room temperature, a response time below 30 ns (setup-limited), a high dynamic range (linear power dependence over more than 3 orders of magnitude) and broadband operation (measured range 1.8–4.2 THz, antenna-limited), which fulfills a combination that is currently missing in the state-of-the-art detectors. Importantly, on the basis of the agreement we obtained between experiment, analytical model, and numerical simulations, we have reached a solid understanding of how the PTE effect gives rise to a THz-induced photoresponse, which is very valuable for further detector optimization.

Abstract-Fast and Sensitive Terahertz Detection Using an Antenna-Integrated Graphene pn Junction

Sebastián Castilla, Bernat Terrés, Marta Autore, Leonardo Viti, Jian Li, Alexey Y. Nikitin, Ioannis Vangelidis, Kenji Watanabe, Takashi Taniguchi, Elefterios Lidorikis, Miriam S. Vitiello, Rainer Hillenbrand, Klaas-Jan Tielrooij, Frank H.L. Koppens

https://arxiv.org/abs/1905.01881

Although the detection of light at terahertz (THz) frequencies is important for a large range of applications, current detectors typically have several disadvantages in terms of sensitivity, speed, operating temperature, and spectral range. Here, we use graphene as a photoactive material to overcome all of these limitations in one device. We introduce a novel detector for terahertz radiation that exploits the photothermoelectric (PTE) effect, based on a design that employs a dual-gated, dipolar antenna with a gap of 100 nm. This narrow-gap antenna simultaneously creates a pn junction in a graphene channel located above the antenna and strongly concentrates the incoming radiation at this pn junction, where the photoresponse is created. We demonstrate that this novel detector has an excellent sensitivity, with a noise-equivalent power of 80 pW-per-square-root-Hz at room temperature, a response time below 30 ns (setup-limited), a high dynamic range (linear power dependence over more than 3 orders of magnitude) and broadband operation (measured range 1.8-4.2 THz, antenna-limited), which fulfills a combination that is currently missing in the state-of-the-art detectors. Importantly, on the basis of the agreement we obtained between experiment, analytical model, and numerical simulations, we have reached a solid understanding of how the PTE effect gives rise to a THz-induced photoresponse, which is very valuable for further detector optimization.

Abstract-Fast and sensitive terahertz detection using an antenna-integrated graphene pn-junction

Sebastian Castilla, Bernat Terres, Marta Autore, Leonardo Viti, Jian Li, Alexey Nikitin, Ioannis Vangelidis, Kenji Watanabe, Takashi Taniguchi, Elefterios Lidorikis, Miriam Serena Vitiello, Rainer Hillenbrand, Klaas-Jan Tielrooij, and Frank H.L. Koppens


https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.nanolett.8b04171

Although the detection of light at terahertz (THz) frequencies is important for a large range of applications, current detectors typically have several disadvantages in terms of sensitivity, speed, operating temperature, and spectral range. Here, we use graphene as photoactive material to overcome all of these limitations in one device. We introduce a novel detector for terahertz radiation that exploits the photo-thermoelectric effect, based on a design that employs a dual-gated, dipolar antenna with a gap of ~100 nm. This narrow-gap antenna simultaneously creates a pn-junction in a graphene channel located above the antenna, and strongly concentrates the incoming radiation at this pn-junction, where the photoresponse is created. We demonstrate that this novel detector has excellent sensitivity, with a noise-equivalent power of 80 pW/√Hz at room temperature, a response time below 30 ns (setup-limited), a high dynamic range (linear power dependence over more than 3 orders of magnitude) and broadband operation (measured range 1.8 - 4.2 THz, antenna-limited), which fulfils a combination that is currently missing in the state of the art. Importantly, based on the agreement we obtain between experiment, analytical model, and numerical simulations, we have reached a solid understanding of how the PTE eect gives rise to a THz-induced photoresponse, which is very valuable for further detector optimization.

Abstract-Quantum-critical conductivity of the Dirac fluid in graphene

Patrick Gallagher, Chan-Shan Yang, Tairu Lyu, Fanglin Tian, Rai Kou1, Hai Zhang, Kenji Watanabe, Takashi Taniguchi

Probing the electrodynamics of graphene using on-chip terahertz spectroscopy. (A) Current carrying modes of a graphene sheet. The zero-momentum mode corresponds to a plasma of counterpropagating electrons and holes and can be relaxed by electron-hole interactions. The finite-momentum mode corresponds to a fluid of co-propagating electrons or holes with nonzero net charge and cannot be relaxed by charge-carrier interactions. The vector J denotes the net current flow. (B) Cartoon of the sample. Photoconductive switches (“emitter” and “detector”) triggered by a pulsed laser emit and detect terahertz pulses within the waveguide. The transmitted pulse is reconstructed by measuring the current collected by the preamplifier (“A”) as a function of delay between laser pulse trains illuminating the emitter and detector. The graphene is optionally excited by a separate pulsed beam (“pump”) to heat the electron system. (C) Photograph of the heterostructure embedded in the waveguide. Few-layer graphene (FLG) electrodes make contact to the monolayer graphene sheet under study and the WS2 gate electrode. Scale bar: 15 micron. Credit: Science, doi:10.1126/science.aat8687

http://science.sciencemag.org/content/early/2019/02/27/science.aat8687?rss=1
Graphene near charge neutrality is expected to behave like a quantum-critical, relativistic plasma—the “Dirac fluid”—in which massless electrons and holes rapidly collide at a rapid rate. We measure the frequency-dependent optical conductivity of clean, micron-scale graphene at electron temperatures between 77 and 300 K using on-chip terahertz spectroscopy. At charge neutrality, we observe the quantum-critical scattering rate characteristic of the Dirac fluid. At higher doping, we uncover two distinct current-carrying modes with zero and nonzero total momenta, a manifestation of relativistic hydrodynamics. Our work reveals the quantum criticality and unusual dynamic excitations near charge neutrality in graphene.

Abstract-Resonant terahertz detection using graphene plasmons

Denis A. Bandurin, Dmitry Svintsov, Igor Gayduchenko, Shuigang G. Xu, Alessandro Principi, Maxim Moskotin, Ivan Tretyakov, Denis Yagodkin, Sergey Zhukov, Takashi Taniguchi, Kenji Watanabe, Irina V. Grigorieva, Marco Polini, Gregory N. Goltsman, Andre K. Geim,  Georgy Fedorov

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-018-07848-w

Plasmons, collective oscillations of electron systems, can efficiently couple light and electric current, and thus can be used to create sub-wavelength photodetectors, radiation mixers, and on-chip spectrometers. Despite considerable effort, it has proven challenging to implement plasmonic devices operating at terahertz frequencies. The material capable to meet this challenge is graphene as it supports long-lived electrically tunable plasmons. Here we demonstrate plasmon-assisted resonant detection of terahertz radiation by antenna-coupled graphene transistors that act as both plasmonic Fabry-Perot cavities and rectifying elements. By varying the plasmon velocity using gate voltage, we tune our detectors between multiple resonant modes and exploit this functionality to measure plasmon wavelength and lifetime in bilayer graphene as well as to probe collective modes in its moiré minibands. Our devices offer a convenient tool for further plasmonic research that is often exceedingly difficult under non-ambient conditions (e.g. cryogenic temperatures) and promise a viable route for various photonic applications.

Abstract-Electrical 2π phase control of infrared light in a 350-nm footprint using graphene plasmons

• Achim Woessner,
• Yuanda Gao,
• Iacopo Torre,
• Mark B. Lundeberg,
• Cheng Tan,
• Kenji Watanabe,
• Takashi Taniguchi,
• Rainer Hillenbrand,
• James Hone,
• Marco Polini
• & Frank H. L. Koppens
• 
  

http://www.nature.com/nphoton/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nphoton.2017.98.html

Modulating the amplitude and phase of light is at the heart of many applications such as wavefront shaping, transformation optics, phased arrays, modulators and sensors. Performing this task with high efficiency and small footprint is a formidable challenge. Metasurfaces and plasmonics are promising, but metals exhibit weak electro-optic effects. Two-dimensional materials, such as graphene, have shown great performance as modulators with small drive voltages. Here, we show a graphene plasmonic phase modulator that is capable of tuning the phase between 0 and 2π in situ. The device length of 350 nm is more than 30 times shorter than the 10.6 μm free-space wavelength. The modulation is achieved by spatially controlling the plasmon phase velocity in a device where the spatial carrier density profile is tunable. We provide a scattering theory for plasmons propagating through spatial density profiles. This work constitutes a first step towards two-dimensional transformation optics for ultracompact modulators and biosensing.

Abstract-Acoustic terahertz graphene plasmons revealed by photocurrent nanoscopy

• Pablo Alonso-González,
• Alexey Y. Nikitin,
• Yuanda Gao,
• Achim Woessner,
• Mark B. Lundeberg,
• Alessandro Principi,
• Nicolò Forcellini,
• Wenjing Yan,
• Saül Vélez,
• Andreas. J. Huber,
• Kenji Watanabe,
• Takashi Taniguchi,
• Félix Casanova,
• Luis E. Hueso,
• Marco Polini,
• James Hone,
• Frank H. L. Koppens
• & Rainer Hillenbrand

http://www.nature.com/nnano/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nnano.2016.185.html

Terahertz (THz) fields are widely used for sensing, communication and quality control. In future applications, they could be efficiently confined, enhanced and manipulated well below the classical diffraction limit through the excitation of graphene plasmons (GPs). These possibilities emerge from the strongly reduced GP wavelength, λp, compared with the photon wavelength, λ0, which can be controlled by modulating the carrier density of graphene via electrical gating. Recently, GPs in a graphene/insulator/metal configuration have been predicted to exhibit a linear dispersion (thus called acoustic plasmons) and a further reduced wavelength, implying an improved field confinement, analogous to plasmons in two-dimensional electron gases (2DEGs) near conductive substrates. Although infrared GPs have been visualized by scattering-type scanning near-field optical microscopy (s-SNOM), the real-space imaging of strongly confined THz plasmons in graphene and 2DEGs has been elusive so far—only GPs with nearly free-space wavelengths have been observed. Here we demonstrate real-space imaging of acoustic THz plasmons in a graphene photodetector with split-gate architecture. To that end, we introduce nanoscale-resolved THz photocurrent near-field microscopy, where near-field excited GPs are detected thermoelectrically rather than optically. This on-chip detection simplifies GP imaging as sophisticated s-SNOM detection schemes can be avoided. The photocurrent images reveal strongly reduced GP wavelengths (λp ≈ λ0/66), a linear dispersion resulting from the coupling of GPs with the metal gate below the graphene, and that plasmon damping at positive carrier densities is dominated by Coulomb impurity scattering.