Monolayer graphene as dissipative membrane in an optical resonator

We experimentally demonstrate coupling of an atomically thin, free-standing graphene membrane to an optical cavity. By changing the position of the membrane along the standing-wave field of the cavity we tailor the dissipative coupling between the membrane and the cavity, and we show that the dissipative coupling can outweigh the dispersive coupling. Such a system, for which controlled dissipation prevails dispersion, will prove useful for novel laser-cooling schemes in optomechanics. In addition, we have determined the continuous-wave optical damage threshold of free-standing monolayer graphene of 1.8(4)~MW/cm$^2$ at 780nm.