Ultra-short plasmonic splitters and waveguide cross-over based on coupled surface plasmon slot waveguides

Area of Science:

• Photonics and Plasmonics
• Nanotechnology
• Optical Engineering

Background:

• Surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) are crucial for subwavelength light manipulation.
• Existing optical splitters and crossovers often face limitations in size and performance.
• Metal-dielectric-metal (MDM) structures offer a platform for novel plasmonic device designs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and investigate novel composite metal-dielectric-metal (MDM) structures for ultra-short optical splitters.
• To explore the potential of these structures for optical switching functionalities.
• To demonstrate a new plasmonic waveguide crossover component using a similar physical mechanism.

Main Methods:

• Design and theoretical analysis of composite MDM structures.
• Utilizing contra-directional coupling in composite plasmonic slot waveguides.
• Investigating multi-dielectric-core composite MDM structures for waveguide crossovers.

Main Results:

• Successfully proposed ultra-short optical splitters with simplified designs based on composite MDM structures.
• Demonstrated the possibility of realizing optical switching functions.
• Developed a novel plasmonic waveguide crossover with low crosstalk and high throughput using multi-dielectric-core composite MDM.

Conclusions:

• Composite MDM structures provide an effective platform for miniaturized optical devices.
• The contra-directional coupling mechanism is key to achieving efficient splitting and switching.
• The proposed structures offer promising solutions for integrated photonic circuits and optical signal processing.