Graphene-based polymer waveguide polarizer

Planar-lightwave-circuit (PLC)-type graphene polarizers are fabricated by using a low loss optical polymer waveguide. The optical characteristics are investigated at a wavelength of 1.31 mu m. By interface engineering with a UV-curable perfluorinated acrylate polymer resin, the graphene's electrical properties are tuned to support a transverse-magnetic (TM) or transverse-electric (TE) surface wave. Thus, the fabricated PLC-type graphene polarizer serves alternatively as a TM-pass or TE-pass polarizer depending on the absence or presence of the upper-cladding layer. The proposed planar-type graphene polarizer can be exploited further for on-chip photonic integrated circuit and devices. (C) 2012 Optical Society of America