title: Nanomechanical electro-optical modulator based on atomic heterostructures.
abstract: Two-dimensional atomic heterostructures combined with metallic nanostructures allow one to realize strong light-matter interactions. Metallic nanostructures possess plasmonic resonances that can be modulated by graphene gating. In particular, spectrally narrow plasmon resonances potentially allow for very high graphene-enabled modulation depth. However, the modulation depths achieved with this approach have so far been low and the modulation wavelength range limited. Here we demonstrate a device in which a graphene/hexagonal boron nitride heterostructure is suspended over a gold nanostripe array. A gate voltage across these devices alters the location of the two-dimensional crystals, creating strong optical modulation of its reflection spectra at multiple wavelengths: in ultraviolet Fabry-Perot resonances, in visible and near-infrared diffraction-coupled plasmonic resonances and in the mid-infrared range of hexagonal boron nitride's upper Reststrahlen band. Devices can be extremely subwavelength in thickness and exhibit compact and truly broadband modulation of optical signals using heterostructures of two-dimensional materials.
authors.affiliation: School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK.
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.affiliation: School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK.
authors.forename: O P
authors.initials: OP
authors.lastname: Marshall
authors.affiliation: School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK.
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Rodriguez
authors.affiliation: School of Computer Science, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK.
authors.forename: G H
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Auton
authors.affiliation: School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK.
authors.forename: V G
authors.initials: VG
authors.lastname: Kravets
authors.affiliation: School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kundys
authors.affiliation: School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Su
authors.affiliation: School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK.
authors.forename: A N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Grigorenko