Fibre Integrated Two-dimensional Materials

This project is looking to develop and fabricate various optical fibre based devices. The use of side-polishing of the optical fibres enable strong light interaction with a number of two dimensional materials like graphene and transition metal dichalcogenides. Using these materials allow for a variety of all-fibre devices such as polarizers, couplers and switches.

Two dimensional (2D)-materials are currently at the forefront of an exciting wave of scientific research. Compared to the traditional bulk counterparts, the high confinement in the 2D plane gives rise to unique optical and electronic properties that are advantageous for wide-ranging applications. However, from a photonics perspective, an inherent challenge of working with the atomically thin layers is enhancing the light-matter interaction to achieve maximal device efficiency.

This project will make use of a newly developed method for producing ultra-low loss side-polished fibres that make for an excellent platform on which to exploit the rich optical functionality of these materials over extended interaction lengths. Initial work will seek to optimize the fibres for integration with a range of popular 2D materials, including graphene and various semiconductors from the transition metal dichalcogenide family (MoS2 and WSe2 etc.). By exploiting the different material properties on offer, a number of robust and compact all-fibre integrated devices will be explored including high-speed modulators, wavelength convertors, lasers and detectors. This work is relevant to a number of EPSRC themes within the Photonics for Future Systems area, most notably Photonic Materials and Optical Devices & Subsystems.