Silicon photonics are known as a key technology for modern optical communications at the near infrared wavelength-band, i.e., 1.31/1.55 μm. Currently silicon photonics researchers have attempted to extend the technology to the wavelength-band beyond 1.55 μm, e.g., 2 μm, for important applications in optical communications, nonlinear photonics, and on-chip sensing. However, the realization of high-performance silicon-based waveguide photodetectors beyond 1.55 μm still faces challenges since there are some fabrication issues as well as wavelength-band limitations. As an alternative, two-dimensional materials (e.g., graphene) provide a promising solution because of the ability for broad operation wavelength-bands and the advantage of avoiding structure mismatch in the design and fabrication.
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Source: Phys.org