Waveguide-Integrated Graphene-Plasmonic Photodetectors for Single- and Multichannel High-Speed Data Transmission

High-speed, integrated photodetectors are crucial for addressing the bandwidth bottlenecks in next-generation data centers and high-performance computing. While graphene offers exceptional intrinsic speed and broadband absorption, realizing its potential in scalable, high-responsivity integrated devices has proven challenging. Here, we demonstrate a waveguide-integrated plasmonic graphene photodetector architecture capable of operating in high-capacity data links. By utilizing plasmonic resonators to enhance light-matter interaction and facilitate photocarrier extraction, the device exhibits a 3 dB bandwidth of 155 GHz and a responsivity exceeding 200 mA/W in the L-band under bias. We validated the device’s capabilities for high-speed data communications through direct detection of intensity-modulated signals, achieving a single-lane line rate of 192 Gbit/s. To further illustrate the platform’s scalability, we cointegrated eight such photodetectors with a low-crosstalk silicon photonic 1 × 8 arrayed waveguide grating to form a wavelength-division multiplexing receiver. This integrated system yielded an aggregated line rate of 816 Gbit/s. These results, representing the fastest waveguide-coupled plasmonic graphene photodetectors reported to date, pave the way for a new generation of dense, high-capacity optical interconnects essential for future high-performance computing and AI infrastructure.