High performance integrated polarizers achieved by incorporating 2D layered graphene oxide films

TL;DR

This paper presents a novel, layer-by-layer solution process to integrate 2D graphene oxide films into photonic devices, achieving high-performance polarization control with significant polarization-dependent loss and extinction ratios.

Contribution

It introduces a transfer-free, layer-by-layer coating method for integrating 2D GO films into photonic devices, overcoming transfer limitations and enabling high-performance integrated polarizers and resonators.

Findings

Achieved a polarization-dependent loss of ~53.8 dB in waveguide polarizers.

Demonstrated an 8.3-dB extinction ratio difference for TE/TM modes in micro-ring resonators.

Provided physical insights into the optical anisotropy and transition behavior of layered GO films.

Abstract

Polarizers and polarization selective resonant cavities (e.g., ring resonators, gratings), are key components for applications to photography, coherent optical detection, polarization-division-multiplexing, optical sensing and liquid crystal displays. We demonstrate waveguide polarizers and polarization discriminating micro-ring resonators (MRRs) by integrating them with 2D graphene oxide (GO) layered thin films. We achieve precise control of the thickness, placement, and size of the films integrated onto photonic devices with a solution based, layer-by-layer transfer-free coating method combined with photolithography and lift-off. This overcomes limitations of layer transfer methods for 2D materials and is a significant advance to manufacturing integrated photonic devices incorporated with 2D materials. We measure the waveguide polarizer for different film thicknesses and lengths versus wavelength, polarization, and power, measuring a high polarization dependent loss (PDL) of ~ 53.8 dB. For GO-coated MRRs, we achieve an extinction ratio difference for TE/TM polarizations of 8.3-dB. We also present measurements of the linear optical properties of 2D layered GO films that yield the material loss anisotropy of the GO films and relative contribution of film loss anisotropy versus polarization-dependent mode overlap. Our results offer interesting physical insights into the transition of the layered GO films from 2D behaviour to quasi bulk like behavior and confirm the high performance of GO based integrated polarization selective devices.