Electronic and optical properties of metal-nanoparticle filled graphene sandwiches

We sandwich gold nanoparticles between graphene sheets and contrast the electronic and optical properties of these hybrid structures to those of single layer graphene with and without gold nanoparticle overlayers, and laminated unfilled double layers. Undecorated graphene has the highest sheet resistance while filled sandwiches have the lowest. The optical extinction spectrum for sandwiches is redshifted and broadened compared to decorated single layer graphene. We also find that the presence of gold nanoparticles in sandwiches shifts the work function relative to unfilled double-layer graphene. The low sheet resistance and favorable optical properties of metal-filled sandwiches make them attractive candidates for optoelectronic applications. (C) 2013 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4772542]