Gain modulation by graphene plasmons in aperiodic lattice lasers

Tunable lasers Lasers emit coherent light at wavelengths that are well defined. These wavelengths are usually fixed once the device has been fabricated. Now, Chakraborty et al. have combined an atomically thin graphene sheet with terahertz quantum cascade lasers to realize a terahertz laser that can be tuned via the carrier doping level of the graphene layer (see the Perspective by Polini). The demonstration opens up the possibility of reversible control over the laser emission through the integration of graphene waveguides. Science , this issue p. 246 ; see also p. 229