Abstract
Polymer composites are one of the most attractive near-term means to exploit the unique properties of carbon nanotubes and graphene. This is particularly true for composites aimed at electronics and photonics, where a number of promising applications have already been demonstrated. One such example is nanotube-based saturable absorbers. These can be used as all-optical switches, optical amplifier noise suppressors, or mode-lockers to generate ultrashort laser pulses. Here, we review various aspects of fabrication, characterization, device implementation and operation of nanotube-polymer composites to be used in photonic applications. We also summarize recent results on graphene-based saturable absorbers for ultrafast lasers.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 3874-3899 |
Number of pages | 26 |
Journal | Advanced Materials |
Volume | 21 |
Issue number | 38-39 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 19 Oct 2009 |
Keywords
- carbon nanotubes
- lasing
- nonlinear optics
- photonics
- polymer composites