Stable, Surfactant-free Graphene-Styrene Methylmethacrylate Composite for Ultrafast Lasers

Abstract

Graphene-polymer composites play an increasing role in photonic and optoelectronic applications, from ultrafast pulse generation to solar cells. We report the fabrication of an optical quality surfactant-free graphene-styrene methyl methacrylate composite, stable to large humidity and temperature ranges and show its use for photonic applications. The composite shows wavelength-independent linear absorption in the visible and near-infrared. When tested in a mode-locked laser, it allows the generation of stable ∼326 fs mode-locked pulses at 1550 nm, unperturbed by environmental conditions. The composite continues to operate as a saturable absorber even under complete water immersion at 60◦C. This confirms its stability against high-temperature and humidity.