Ultrafast, Zero-Bias, Graphene Photodetectors with Polymeric Gate Dielectric on Passive Photonic Waveguides.

We report compact, scalable, high-performance, waveguide integrated graphene-based photodetectors (GPDs) for telecom and datacom applications, not affected by dark current. To exploit the photothermoelectric (PTE) effect, our devices rely on a graphene/polymer/graphene stack with static top split gates. The polymeric dielectric, poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), allows us to preserve graphene quality and to generate a controllable p-n junction. Both graphene layers are fabricated using aligned single-crystal graphene arrays grown by chemical vapor deposition. The use of PVA yields a low charge inhomogeneity ∼8 × 1010 cm-2 at the charge neutrality point, and a large Seebeck coefficient ∼140 µV K-1, enhancing the PTE effect. Our devices are the fastest GPDs operating with zero dark current, showing a flat frequency response up to 67 GHz without roll-off. This performance is achieved on a passive, low-cost, photonic platform, and does not rely on nanoscale plasmonic structures. This, combined with scalability and ease of integration, makes our GPDs a promising building block for next-generation optical communication devices.

Nano-Graphitic based Non-Volatile Memories Fabricated by the Dynamic Spray-Gun Deposition Method.

This paper deals with the fabrication of Resistive Random Access Memory (ReRAM) based on oxidized carbon nanofibers (CNFs). Stable suspensions of oxidized CNFs have been prepared in water and sprayed on an appropriate substrate, using the dynamic spray-gun deposition method, developed at Thales Research and Technology. This technique allows extremely uniform mats to be produced while heating the substrate at the boiling point of the solvent used for the suspensions. A thickness of around 150 nm of CNFs sandwiched between two metal layers (the metalized substrate and the top contacts) has been achieved, creating a Metal-Insulator-Metal (MIM) structure typical of ReRAM. After applying a bias, we were able to change the resistance of the oxidized layer between a low (LRS) and a high resistance state (HRS) in a completely reversible way. This is the first time that a scientific group has produced this kind of device using CNFs and these results pave the way for the further implementation of this kind of memory on flexible substrates.