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Compact antenna for efficient and unidirectional launching and decoupling of surface plasmons
Alexandre Baron1, Eloïse Devaux, Jean-Claude Rodier
1Laboratoire Charles Fabry, Institut d'Optique, Univ Paris-Sud, CNRS, Campus Polytechnique RD 128, 91127 Palaiseau cedex, France.
Nano Letters
|September 13, 2011
Summary
Researchers developed a compact device using eleven subwavelength grooves to launch surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) unidirectionally with over 52% efficiency. This plasmonic launcher also efficiently converts SPPs back into a directed light beam.
Area of Science:
- Photonics and Plasmonics
- Nanophotonics
- Optics and Light-Matter Interactions
Background:
- Controlling surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) and their conversion to light is crucial for plasmonic device development.
- Achieving efficient and directional launching of SPPs remains a significant challenge in nanophotonics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To design and experimentally demonstrate a highly efficient unidirectional surface plasmon launcher.
- To investigate the device's capability for converting SPPs back into a directive light beam.
Main Methods:
- Design of a compact launcher comprising eleven subwavelength grooves with varying depths and widths.
- Experimental observation of SPP launching under normal illumination with a focused Gaussian beam.
- Characterization of the launching efficiency and directionality.
Main Results:
- Experimental achievement of unidirectional SPP launching with an efficiency of at least 52%.
- Demonstration of a compact device with a total length less than 8 μm.
- Reciprocal conversion of SPPs into a highly directive light beam perpendicular to the sample surface.
Conclusions:
- The developed groove-based device enables highly efficient and unidirectional SPP launching.
- The device offers a compact and effective solution for controlling SPP propagation and light conversion in plasmonic systems.
