Engineered bio-compatible graphene nanomaterials for nonlinear applications

Hybrid systems combining individual optical, electronic and mechanical properties of two or more constituents have the potential of resulting in enhanced functional materials. Graphene, due to its zero bandgap, linear electronic dispersion and subsequently broadband nature, has attracted significant interest as a promising material in the optoelectronic arena. However, the ability to tune its optical properties at high fluences in a way that is compatible with large scale production without thermally induced damage has challenged adoption in industry. This work strives to overcome such issues through the development of a graphene-hybrid material. Here we combine the strong nonlinearity of graphene with the thermal stability of a DNA composite, while facilitating solution processing for large area surface coverage. The graphene-DNA composite results in a hybrid material exhibiting a tunable nonlinear response in the nanosecond and femtosecond regimes in addition to potentially possessing an extremely high damage threshold of > 170 J/cm2 when functionalized appropriately.