An Approach to 2D Photodetectors - Absorption of Bloch Surface Waves Using Nanometric Thin Graphene Layers

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates the first experimental absorption of Bloch surface waves by graphene layers on a dielectric multilayer platform, showing significant reduction in wave propagation length due to graphene.

Contribution

It presents the first experimental evidence of Bloch surface wave absorption by graphene, using advanced near-field microscopy and transfer techniques.

Findings

Graphene causes about 17 times shorter propagation length of surface waves.

Successful transfer of CVD-grown graphene layers onto dielectric multilayers.

Quantitative measurement of Bloch surface wave absorption by graphene.

Abstract

A dielectric multilayer platform has been investigated as a foundation for two-dimensional optics. In this paper, we present, to the best of our knowledge, the first experimental demonstration of absorption of Bloch surface waves in the presence of graphene layers. Graphene layers have been grown previously via CVD on Cu foils and transferred layer by layer by PMMA-wet transfer method. We exploit total internal reflection configuration and multi-heterodyne scanning near-field optical microscopy as a far-field coupling method and near-field characterization tool, respectively. The absorption is quantified in terms of propagation lengths of Bloch surface waves. A significant drop (about 17 times shorter) in the propagation length of surface waves is observed in the presence of single layer of graphene.