ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a brief history of graphene and discusses its optical properties. It highlights the probable applications. Many of these applications are familiar to the common end users, such as solar cells, light-emitting devices, and touchscreens. Graphene applications are propelled by progress in the production of graphene with suitable properties and manageable cost for the targeted purpose. For photonic applications, namely, lasers, modulators, and polarizers, a cost-effective production method of high-quality graphene needs to be developed, especially in the case of graphene-based lasers. Introduction of the two-dimensional (2D) materials allows hybrid layers to be prepared from different materials with less concern for lattice mismatch compared to traditional heterostructures. Other 2D materials that come into the limelight recently include topological insulators and layered black phosphorus. Graphene, in conjunction with other 2D materials, offers a myriad of possibilities.
