Thin Film Plasmonic Optical Modulator

A plasmon-based optical modulator comprising

• a substrate;
• high reflectivity material disposed over the substrate;
• a relatively thin dielectric layer disposed over a top major surface of the high reflectivity material;
• a plurality of graphene strips disposed in parallel across a top major surface of the relatively thin dielectric layer, each graphene strip exhibiting a predetermined width w, with adjacent strips separated by a predetermined spacing s;
• and
• an electrical contact coupled to the plurality of graphene strips, where the values of w, s, and a DV voltage applied to the plurality of graphene strips determines a resonant wavelength of the plasmon-based optical modulator at which an incoming optical beam is absorbed by surface plasmons created along an interface between the plurality of graphene strips and the dielectric layer, wherein the application of a modulating electrical signal to the plurality of graphene strips modulates the resonant wavelength of the plasmon-based optical modulator and provides a modulation between absorption and non-absorption of the incoming optical beam as a function of its wavelength.