Graphene is a 2-D atomic layer of carbon atoms with unique electronic transport properties such as a high Fermi velocity, an outstanding carrier mobility, and a high carrier saturation velocity, which make graphene an excellent candidate for advanced applications in future electronics. In particular, the potential of graphene in high-speed analog electronics is currently being extensively explored. In this paper, we discuss briefly the basic electronic structure and transport properties of graphene, its large scale synthesis, the role of metal-graphene contact, field-effect transistor (FET) device fabrication (including the issues of gate insulators), and then focus on the electrical characteristics and promise of high-frequency graphene transistors with record-high cutoff frequencies, maximum oscillation frequencies, and voltage gain. Finally, we briefly discuss the first graphene integrated circuits (ICs) in the form of mixers and voltage amplifiers.

Graphene is a monolayer of carbon atoms arranged in a honey-comb lattice: atomically thin, light, flexible, mechanically strong, visually transparent, electrically tunable, and highly conductive if doped. Graphene also interacts with light strongly from the microwave range to the ultraviolet, spanning wavelengths of at least five orders of magnitude. Such strong light-graphene interaction, together with its exceptional electronic and mechanical properties, makes graphene a promising candidate for various photonic applications. The early part of this paper addresses the physics of light-graphene interaction under a single-electron approximation, followed by a discussion of light excitation of collective oscillations of the carriers, i.e., plasmons in graphene. A variety of photonic devices operating in different wavelength ranges based on the two different light-graphene interaction mechanisms discussed above, such as photodetectors, optical modulators, electromagnetic wave shieldings, notch filters, and linear polarizers are then covered. Finally, we discuss the future directions for graphene photonics research.