Complete optical absorption in periodically patterned graphene

Abstract

We demonstrate that 100% light absorption can take place in a single patterned sheet of doped graphene. General analysis shows that a planar array of small particles with losses exhibits full absorption under critical-coupling conditions provided the cross section of each individual particle is comparable to the area of the lattice unit cell. Specifically, arrays of doped graphene nanodisks display full absorption when supported on a substrate under total internal reflection and also when lying on a dielectric layer coating a metal. Our results are relevant for infrared light detectors and sources, which can be made tunable via electrostatic doping of graphene. © 2012 American Physical Society.