Ultrafast Tunable Terahertz-to-Visible Light Conversion through Thermal Radiation from Graphene Metamaterials

Several technologies, including photodetection, imaging and data communication, could greatly benefit from the availability of fast and controllable conversion of terahertz (THz) light to visible light. Here, we demonstrate that the exceptional properties and dynamics of electronic heat in graphene allow for THz-to-visible conversion, which is switchable at a sub-nanosecond timescale. We show a tunable on/off ratio of more than 30 for the emitted visible light, achieved through electrical gating using a gate voltage on the order of one Volt. We also demonstrate that a grating-graphene metamaterial leads to an increase in THz-induced emitted power in the visible range by two orders of magnitude. The experimental results are in agreement with a thermodynamic model that describes black-body radiation from the electron system heated through intraband Drude absorption of THz light. These results provide a promising route towards novel functionalities of optoelectronic technologies in the THz regime.