title: Graphene mode-locked ultrafast laser.
abstract: Graphene is at the center of a significant research effort. Near-ballistic transport at room temperature and high mobility make it a potential material for nanoelectronics. Its electronic and mechanical properties are also ideal for micro- and nanomechanical systems, thin-film transistors, and transparent and conductive composites and electrodes. Here we exploit the optoelectronic properties of graphene to realize an ultrafast laser. A graphene-polymer composite is fabricated using wet-chemistry techniques. Pauli blocking following intense illumination results in saturable absorption, independent of wavelength. This is used to passively mode-lock an erbium-doped fiber laser working at 1559 nm, with a 5.24 nm spectral bandwidth and approximately 460 fs pulse duration, paving the way to graphene-based photonics.
authors.affiliation: Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0FA, UK.
authors.forename: Zhipei
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Tawfique
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hasan
authors.forename: Felice
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Torrisi
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Popa
authors.forename: Giulia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Privitera
authors.forename: Fengqiu
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bonaccorso
authors.forename: Denis M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Basko
authors.forename: Andrea C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Ferrari
mesh_terms: D000327:Adsorption; D002244:Carbon / Q000737:chemistry*; D004583:Electrons; D007700:Kinetics; D007834:Lasers; D013685:Telecommunications
chemical_list: D002244:Carbon