Graphene-covered 1D photonic crystals enabling TE-polarized graphene modes

We present the design of a photonic crystal-based multilayer structure that allows to experimentally demonstrate, using attenuated total reflectance experiments, the existence of the predicted transverse electric (TE) polarized excitation in graphene. We show that this mode can be excited in a single layer of graphene, even at room temperature. Furthermore, we prove that the observed mode in the reflection spectra corresponds to the TE-polarized graphene excitation and not the Bloch Surface Wave of the photonic crystal experiencing graphene-induced loss. Finally, we point out that adding an extra layer of dielectric material on top of the structure would ensure the unambiguous identification of the TE graphene mode even in the presence of fabrication errors.