Limits on the bolometric response of graphene due to flicker noise

We study the photoresponse of graphene field effect transistors using scanning photocurrent microscopy in near and far field configurations, and we find that the response of graphene under a source–drain bias voltage away from the contacts is dominated by the bolometric effect caused by laser induced heating. We find no significant change in the photocurrent with the optical modulation frequency upto 100 kHz. Although the magnitude of the bolometric current scales with bias voltage, it also results in noise. The frequency dependence of this noise indicates that it has a 1/f character, scales with the bias voltage, and limits the detectable bolometric photoresponse at low optical powers.