Researchers design new platform that generates hybrid light-matter excitations in highly charged graphene

Columbia researchers recently announced that they were the first to use the static charge between 2D atomic layers to provide a new route for generating graphene plasmon polaritons without an external power source or chemical dopants.

Among graphene’s many unique properties is the ability to support highly confined electromagnetic waves coupled to oscillations of electronic charge—plasmon polaritons—that have potentially broad applications in nanotechnology, including biosensing, quantum information, and solar energy. However, in order to support plasmon polaritons, graphene must be charged by applying a voltage to a nearby metal gate, which greatly increases the size and complexity of nanoscale devices.