Geometries for the coherent control of four-wave mixing in graphene multilayers

Rao, S. M., Lyons, A. , Roger, T., Clerici, M. , Zheludev, N. I. and Faccio, D. (2015) Geometries for the coherent control of four-wave mixing in graphene multilayers. Scientific Reports, 5, 15399. (doi: 10.1038/srep15399) (PMID:26486075) (PMCID:PMC4613863)

Abstract

Deeply sub-wavelength two-dimensional films may exhibit extraordinarily strong nonlinear effects. Here we show that 2D films exhibit the remarkable property of a phase-controllable nonlinearity, i.e., the amplitude of the nonlinear polarisation wave in the medium can be controlled via the pump beam phase and determines whether a probe beam will “feel” or not the nonlinearity. This is in stark contrast to bulk nonlinearities where propagation in the medium averages out any such phase dependence. We perform a series of experiments in multilayer graphene that highlight some of the consequences of the optical nonlinearity phase-dependence, such as the coherent control of nonlinearly diffracted beams, single-pump-beam induced phase-conjugation and the demonstration of a nonlinear mirror characterised by negative reflection. The observed phase sensitivity is not specific to graphene but rather is solely a result of the dimensionality and is therefore expected in all 2D materials.

• Item Type: Articles
• Additional Information: D.F. acknowledges financial support from the European Research Council under the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP/2007-2013)/ERC GA 306559 and EPSRC (UK, grant EP/J00443X/1). M.C. acknowledges the support from the People Programme (Marie Curie Actions) of the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under REA grant agreement n. 299522.
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Lyons, Dr Ashley and Clerici, Professor Matteo and Faccio, Professor Daniele
• Authors: Rao, S. M., Lyons, A., Roger, T., Clerici, M., Zheludev, N. I., and Faccio, D.
• College/School: College of Science and Engineering > School of Engineering > Electronics and Nanoscale Engineering; College of Science and Engineering > School of Physics and Astronomy
• Journal Name: Scientific Reports
• Publisher: Nature Publishing Group
• ISSN: 2045-2322
• ISSN (Online): 2045-2322
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2015 Macmillan Publishers Limited
• First Published: First published in Scientific Reports 5:15399
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons License