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Plasmonic ridge waveguides with deep-subwavelength outside-field confinements
Chengwei Sun1, Kexiu Rong, Yujia Wang
1State Key Laboratory for Mesoscopic Physics, Collaborative Innovation Center of Quantum Matter, Department of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, People's Republic of China.
Nanotechnology
|January 15, 2016
Summary
A novel subwavelength metallic ridge waveguide confines surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) outside the waveguide, enhancing sensing performance for nano-optics applications.
Area of Science:
- Photonics
- Plasmonics
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Subwavelength plasmonic waveguides are key for planar photonic circuits.
- Existing designs face limitations in field confinement and sensing capabilities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate a novel subwavelength metallic ridge waveguide.
- To analyze its surface-plasmon-polariton (SPP) modes and field confinement properties.
- To evaluate its potential for enhanced nanosensing applications.
Main Methods:
- Numerical simulations of the waveguide structure.
- Experimental investigation of the waveguide's optical properties.
- Comparison with conventional metallic strip waveguides.
Main Results:
- SPP modes arise from coupled corner modes, influenced by a thick bottom metal film.
- Over 50% of SPP power is confined outside the ridge in a deep-subwavelength area (λ²/20).
- Propagation length is approximately 10 times the plasmon wavelength.
- The proposed waveguide shows significantly higher sensing performance than conventional designs.
Conclusions:
- The metallic ridge waveguide offers deep-subwavelength outside-field confinement.
- This design is highly significant for nano-optics, particularly in nanosensing.
- The unique field confinement enhances the waveguide's sensitivity for sensor applications.
