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Alam MZ, Yang Z, Sheik-Bahae M, Aitchison JS, Mojahedi M. Directional excitation of surface plasmon using multi-mode interference in an aperture. Sci Rep 2021; 11:3170. [PMID: 33542355 PMCID: PMC7862445 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-78594-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2018] [Accepted: 11/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmonics is a promising technology that can find many applications in nanophotonics and biosensing. Local excitation of surface plasmons with high directionality is required for many of these applications. We demonstrate that by controlling the interference of light in a metal slot with the adjustment of the angle of incidence, it is possible to achieve highly directional surface plasmon excitation. Our numerical analysis of the structure showing a strong directionality of excited surface plasmon is confirmed by near field scanning measurements. The proposed structure can be useful for many applications including excitation of plasmonic waveguides, nanolithography, and optical sensing. To illustrate its usefulness, we experimentally demonstrate that it can be used for highly directional excitation of a dielectric loaded plasmonic waveguide. We also propose a simple structure for surface plasmon interference lithography capable of providing high image contrast using this scheme.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Z Alam
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Queen's University, Kingston, K7L 3N9, Canada.
| | - Z Yang
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
| | - M Sheik-Bahae
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
| | - J S Aitchison
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, M5S 3G4, Canada
| | - M Mojahedi
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, M5S 3G4, Canada
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2
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Crampton KT, Joly AG, El-Khoury P. Femtosecond photoemission electron microscopy of surface plasmon polariton beam steering via nanohole arrays. J Chem Phys 2020; 153:081103. [PMID: 32872854 DOI: 10.1063/5.0021032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Directional control over surface plasmon polariton (SPP) waves is a prerequisite for the development of miniaturized optical circuitry. Here, the efficacy of single and dual component SPP steering elements is explored through photoemission electron microscopy. Our imaging scheme relies on two-color photoemission and counter-propagating SPP generation, which collectively allow SPPs to be visualized in real space. Wave-vector difference mixing between the two-dimensional nanohole array and photon momenta enables SPP steering with directionality governed by the array lattice constant and input photon direction. In our dual component configuration, separate SPP generation and Bragg diffraction based steering optics are employed. We find that array Bragg planes principally influence the SPP angles through the array band structure, which allows us to visualize both positive and negative refractory waves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin T Crampton
- Physical Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, P.O. Box 999, Richland, Washington 99352, USA
| | - Alan G Joly
- Physical Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, P.O. Box 999, Richland, Washington 99352, USA
| | - Patrick El-Khoury
- Physical Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, P.O. Box 999, Richland, Washington 99352, USA
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3
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Ayata M, Fedoryshyn Y, Koch U, Leuthold J. Compact, ultra-broadband plasmonic grating couplers. OPTICS EXPRESS 2019; 27:29719-29729. [PMID: 31684229 DOI: 10.1364/oe.27.029719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2019] [Accepted: 09/05/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
We demonstrate all-metallic grating couplers that enable vertical, compact and broadband fiber-coupling. The grating couplers are based on a metal layer and directly convert a vertical fiber mode into surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs). In combination with a focusing arrangement, the grating couplers require only a small footprint of 13.5 × 12 µm2. We characterize the grating couplers with both periodic and apodized gratings and experimentally show a 1-dB bandwidth of 115 nm with a coupling efficiency of 2.9 dB.
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Dreissen L, Schouten HF, Ubachs W, Raghunathan SB, Visser TD. Active Two-Dimensional Steering of Radiation from a Nanoaperture. NANO LETTERS 2018; 18:7207-7210. [PMID: 30372090 PMCID: PMC6328275 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.8b03319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2018] [Revised: 10/05/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
We experimentally demonstrate control over the direction of radiation of a beam that passes through a square nanoaperture in a metal film. The ratio of the aperture size and the wavelength is such that only three guided modes, each with different spatial symmetries, can be excited. Using a spatial light modulator, the superposition of the three modes can be altered, thus allowing for a controlled variation of the radiation pattern that emanates from the nanoaperture. Robust and stable steering of 9.5° in two orthogonal directions was achieved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura
S. Dreissen
- Department
of Physics and Astronomy, LaserLaB, Vrije
Universiteit, De Boelelaan
1081, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Hugo F. Schouten
- Department
of Physics and Astronomy, LaserLaB, Vrije
Universiteit, De Boelelaan
1081, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Wim Ubachs
- Department
of Physics and Astronomy, LaserLaB, Vrije
Universiteit, De Boelelaan
1081, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Advanced
Research Center for Nanolithography, Science Park 110, 1098 XG Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Taco D. Visser
- Department
of Physics and Astronomy, LaserLaB, Vrije
Universiteit, De Boelelaan
1081, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department
of Physics and Astronomy, University of
Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627, United
States
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Daniel S, Saastamoinen K, Saastamoinen T, Rahomäki J, Friberg AT, Visser TD. Dynamic control of optical transmission through a nano-slit using surface plasmons. OPTICS EXPRESS 2015; 23:22512-22519. [PMID: 26368218 DOI: 10.1364/oe.23.022512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
We demonstrate how the optical transmission by a directly illuminated, sub-wavelength slit in a metal film can be dynamically controlled by varying the incident beam's phase relative to that of a stream of surface plasmon polaritions which are generated at a nearby grating. The transmission can be smoothly altered from its maximum value to practically zero. The results from a simple model and from rigorous numerical simulations are in excellent agreement with our experimental results. Our method may be applied in all-optical switching.
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Yao W, Liu S, Liao H, Li Z, Sun C, Chen J, Gong Q. Efficient directional excitation of surface plasmons by a single-element nanoantenna. NANO LETTERS 2015; 15:3115-3121. [PMID: 25848855 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.5b00181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Directional light scattering is important in basic research and real applications. This area has been successfully downscaled to wavelength and subwavelength scales with the development of optical antennas, especially single-element nanoantennas. Here, by adding an auxiliary resonant structure to a single-element plasmonic nanoantenna, we show that the highly efficient lowest-order antenna mode can be effectively transferred into inactive higher-order modes. On the basis of this mode conversion, scattered optical fields can be well manipulated by utilizing the interference between different antenna modes. Both broadband directional excitation of surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) and inversion of SPP launching direction at different wavelengths are experimentally demonstrated as typical examples. The proposed strategy based on mode conversion and mode interference provides new opportunities for the design of nanoscale optical devices, especially directional nanoantennas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenjie Yao
- †School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Shang Liu
- †School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Huimin Liao
- †School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Zhi Li
- †School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Chengwei Sun
- †School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- ‡State Key Laboratory for Mesoscopic Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Jianjun Chen
- †School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- ‡State Key Laboratory for Mesoscopic Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Qihuang Gong
- †School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- ‡State Key Laboratory for Mesoscopic Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
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Gan CH, Nash GR. Broadband and efficient plasmonic control in the near-infrared and visible via strong interference of surface plasmon polaritons. OPTICS LETTERS 2013; 38:4453-4456. [PMID: 24177117 DOI: 10.1364/ol.38.004453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Broadband and tunable control of surface plasmon polaritons in the near-infrared and visible spectrum is demonstrated theoretically and numerically with a pair of phased nanoslits. We establish, with simulations supported by a coupled wave model, that by dividing the incident power equally between two input channels, the maximum plasmon intensity deliverable to either side of the nanoslit pair is twice that for an isolated slit. For a broadband source, a compact device with nanoslit separation of the order of a tenth of the wavelength is shown to steer nearly all the generated plasmons to one side for the same phase delay, thereby achieving a broadband unidirectional plasmon launcher. The reported effect can be applied to the design of ultra-broadband and efficient tunable plasmonic devices.
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Raghunathan SB, Schouten HF, Ubachs W, Kim BE, Gan CH, Visser TD. Dynamic beam steering from a subwavelength slit by selective excitation of guided modes. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2013; 111:153901. [PMID: 24160601 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.111.153901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Dynamic control of the direction of radiation of the light emanating from a subwavelength slit carved out of a thin metal film is experimentally demonstrated. This is achieved by selective excitation of the individual guided modes in the slit by setting the phase of three coherent laser beams. By changing the voltage across a piezoelement, we obtain unprecedented directional steering, without relying on any mechanical alignment of optical elements. The angular range over which this maximum can be swept is determined by the intensity setting of one of the incident beams. Through simulations, we show that this method can also be applied to steer the radiation from a square hole in two independent directions. Our method can be applied to create a directional nanoemitter which can selectively address one or more detectors, or as an optical switch in photonic circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- S B Raghunathan
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Delft University of Technology, 2628 CD Delft, Netherlands
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Jin L, Chen Q, Song S. Plasmonic waveguides with low polarization dependence. OPTICS LETTERS 2013; 38:3078-3081. [PMID: 24104653 DOI: 10.1364/ol.38.003078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Plasmonic waveguides essentially support only transverse magnetic modes. A novel plasmonic waveguide consisting of hybrid plasmonic waveguides in both vertical and horizontal directions is proposed to reduce the polarization dependence. In a combined waveguide, surface plasmon polariton (SPP) modes polarized in both vertical and horizontal directions exist in the correspondingly oriented hybrid plasmonic waveguide. In an optimized structure, anticrossing mode coupling is observed between these two SPP modes with a low birefringence by finite-difference time-domain simulation. The energy flux clearly shows the polarization-selective coupling between the polarized guided modes in the feeding silicon waveguide and those in the combined waveguide. Coupling efficiency above 65% is obtained for both polarizations. The proposed plasmonic combined waveguide has a potential application in guiding and processing of light from a fiber with a random polarization state.
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Zhang X, Li Z, Chen J, Yue S, Gong Q. A dichroic surface-plasmon-polariton splitter based on an asymmetric T-shape nanoslit. OPTICS EXPRESS 2013; 21:14548-14554. [PMID: 23787642 DOI: 10.1364/oe.21.014548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
An asymmetric T-shape nanoslit in a metal film is proposed to act as an efficient dichroic surface-plasmon-polariton (SPP) splitter, which is composed of a single nanoslit in immediate contacting with two nanogrooves with different widths. Simulations show that, due to the interferences of SPPs in the upper part of the asymmetric T-shape nanoslit, the generated SPPs propagating to the left and right directions on the front metal surface can be manipulated nearly independently by altering the right and left groove widths, respectively. Based on such effects, a dichroic SPP splitter is demonstrated and the splitting wavelengths can easily be adjusted. High splitting ratios of 31:1 and 1:12 at splitting wavelengths of 680 nm and 884 nm are numerically presented with a device's lateral dimension of only 1200 nm. Further experimental results match the simulations well.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Mesoscopic Physics and Department of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
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Li D, Zhang DH, Yan C, Li T, Wang Y, Xu Z, Wang J, Qin F. Unidirectional surface plasmon-polariton excitation by a compact slot partially filled with dielectric. OPTICS EXPRESS 2013; 21:5949-5956. [PMID: 23482163 DOI: 10.1364/oe.21.005949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
We propose a new scheme on unidirectional surface plasmon-polariton (SPP) excitation with the following advantages: ultracompact size, working at arbitrary incidence angle and over a wide spectrum. The proposed structure utilizes a partially filled metallic slot with dielectric to realize unidirectional SPP excitation via direct field manipulation. We theoretically and numerically show that unidirectional SPP excitation with a ratio of 93% can be achieved by a structure with a 50 nm slot. The proposed structure keeps its functional capability over incident angles from -80° to 80°, and has a broadband working spectrum of more than 70 nm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongdong Li
- School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 639798 Singapore
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