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Layered two-dimensional materials have demonstrated novel optoelectronic properties and are well suited for integration in planar photonic circuits. Graphene, for example, has been utilized for wideband photodetection. However, because graphene lacks a bandgap, graphene photodetectors suffer from very high dark current. In contrast, layered black phosphorous, the latest addition to the family of two-dimensional materials, is ideal for photodetector applications due to its narrow but finite bandgap. Here, we demonstrate a gated multilayer black phosphorus photodetector integrated on a silicon photonic waveguide operating in the near-infrared telecom band. In a significant advantage over graphene devices, black phosphorus photodetectors can operate under bias with very low dark current and attain an intrinsic responsivity up to 135 mA W−1 and 657 mA W−1 in 11.5-nm- and 100-nm-thick devices, respectively, at room temperature. The photocurrent is dominated by the photovoltaic effect with a high response bandwidth exceeding 3 GHz. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An electro-absorption optical modulator concept based upon a dual-graphene layer is presented. The device consists of a silicon-on-insulator waveguide upon which two graphene layers reside, separated by a thin insulating region. The lower graphene acts as a tunable absorber, while the upper layer functions as a transparent gate electrode. Calculations based upon realistic graphene material properties show that 3-dB bandwidths over 120 GHz (30 GHz) are achievable at near- (λ = 1.55 μm) and mid- (λ = 3.5 μm) infrared bands. The effect of background doping and potential fluctuations on the bandwidth, modulation depth, and insertion loss are also quantified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]