Universal Distance-Scaling of Non-radiative Energy Transfer to Graphene

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates a universal 1/d^4 scaling law for non-radiative energy transfer from emitters to graphene, showing high transfer efficiency and potential for photonic applications.

Contribution

It establishes a universal distance-scaling law for energy transfer to graphene, confirmed experimentally, highlighting graphene's effectiveness as an energy sink.

Findings

Energy transfer rate follows a 1/d^4 dependence.

Emitter decay rate is enhanced by up to 90 times.

High transfer efficiency (~99%) at ~5 nm distance.

Abstract

The near-field interaction between fluorescent emitters and graphene exhibits rich physics associated with local dipole-induced electromagnetic fields that are strongly enhanced due to the unique properties of graphene. Here, we measure emitter lifetimes as a function of emitter-graphene distance d, and find agreement with a universal scaling law, governed by the fine-structure constant. The observed energy transfer- rate is in agreement with a 1/d^4 dependence that is characteristic of 2D lossy media. The emitter decay rate is enhanced 90 times (transfer efficiency of ~99%) with respect to the decay in vacuum at distances d ~ 5 nm. This high energy-transfer rate is mainly due to the two-dimensionality and gapless character of the monoatomic carbon layer. Graphene is thus shown to be an extraordinary energy sink, holding great potential for photodetection, energy harvesting, and nanophotonics.