Data traffic has exponentially grown over the past 25 years. The mobile communications market and the Internet of Things are expected to continue driving this growth, with 5G communication technology expected to demand bandwidths that are considered enormous by today’s standards. Integrated photonic chips that are to enable continuing growth are thus facing tough demands, requiring the use of novel materials.

Graphene is an excellent material for optoelectronic applications, with properties that give yield to several advantages over silicon photonics. One of the most pronounced advantages of graphene is the ability for tuning optical properties with gate voltage, allowing for modulation of absorption and refraction of light. Hence applications such as optical add-drop multiplexing and ultrafast optical detectors based on graphene are within reach of current technology.

Access to wafer-scale graphene of a consistent high quality and ability to integrate graphene devices with existing technological processes are key pillars for implementing graphene photonics in practice. Graphenea’s GFAB service, a graphene foundry that provides buyers with the ability to order completely bespoke graphene circuits printed on their own specifications on wafers up to 6”, fits right into the requirements for graphene photonics. This breakthrough service creates an opportunity for researchers to obtain the materials they need, enabling fast device prototyping and accelerating the development of new applications in photonics, lowering the entry barriers to graphene-based solutions. The new developed solutions can be seamlessly integrated into the larger photonic circuit fabrication processes. The devices pass the stringent quality control measures that Graphenea enforces on all samples, including Raman spectroscopy, optical microscopy, and electrical tests, ensuring consistent high quality.

Graphenea will showcase its GFAB service, graphene field effect transistors (GFET), CVD graphene films, and other products at SPIE Photonics West in San Francisco next week. Photonics West is the leading global event for the photonics and laser industries, with over 5,000 presentations and courses and two world-class exhibitions of 1,300 companies. Come talk to us about your application and our offer at booth number 4524. See you there!