Characterization of light-control-light system using graphene oxide coated optical waveguide

• Main Authors: Ahmad, Harith, Soltani, Soroush, Ismail, Mohammad Faizal, Thambiratnam, Kavintheran, Chong, Wu Yi, Yasin, Moh
• Format: Article
• Published: IOP Publishing 2018
• Subjects: Q Science (General); QC Physics
• Online Access: http://eprints.um.edu.my/22668/; https://doi.org/10.1088/1555-6611/aabd25

An optical waveguide was coated with graphene oxide (GO) using the drop-casting technique to increase the interaction between the waveguide's evanescent field and the GO layer. Subsequently, a 1550 nm tunable laser source and 980 nm pump laser is used to study the potential of the GO-film to control the flow of light through the waveguide by altering the state of the waveguide between transparent (ON) and opaque (OFF). The GO layer has a thickness of 0.40 μm and allows a 1550 nm signal with a peak power of -7.0 dBm and average output power of 0 dBm to pass through at a maximum pump power of 60 mW. The waveguide has a responsivity of ∼0.1 dB mW-1, with the time to switch between the ON and OFF states being about 3 ms.