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Updated: Jul 30, 2026

Fabrication And Characterization Of Photonic Crystal Slow Light Waveguides And Cavities
Published on: November 30, 2012
Pulse delay and propagation through subwavelength metallic slits.
Paul N Stavrinou1, Laszlo Solymar
1Centre for Electronic Materials and Devices, The Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College London, SW7 2BX, United Kingdom. p.stravinou@imperial.ac.uk
This study investigates optical pulse transmission through 2D metallic gratings. Surface plasmon polariton (SPP) resonance causes significant pulse delay, extending beyond the grating structure.
Area of Science:
- Optics and Photonics
- Plasmonics
- Nanophotonics
Background:
- Investigating transmission properties of 2D metallic gratings at optical wavelengths.
- Utilizing subwavelength slits for significant transmission via surface plasmon polariton (SPP) and waveguide mode resonances.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the transmission properties of 2D metallic gratings for Gaussian pulses.
- To quantify pulse delay and width changes due to SPP and waveguide mode resonances.
- To demonstrate the evolution of pulse delay beyond the grating structure.
Main Methods:
- Rigorous coupled wave approach (RCWA) for spectral component analysis.
- Inverse Fourier transform for temporal output pulse reconstruction.
- Poynting vector moments for pulse delay and width determination.
Main Results:
- Significant pulse delay observed, up to 256 fs for SPP resonance with a 200 fs pulse.
- Waveguide mode resonance results in a smaller delay of 32 fs.
- Pulse delay develops over distances larger than the grating, correlating with energy storage and Poynting vector vortices.
Conclusions:
- 2D metallic gratings enable significant pulse manipulation through resonant phenomena.
- SPP resonance leads to substantial temporal delays in optical pulses.
- The spatial extent of pulse delay development is a key characteristic beyond the grating dimensions.
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