Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 14, 2025
07:39
Determination of the Excitation and Coupling Rates Between Light Emitters and Surface Plasmon Polaritons
Published on: July 21, 2018
7.1K
Unidirectional propagation of electrically driven surface plasmon polaritons: a numerical study
1Department of Optics and Optical Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei City, Anhui Province 230026, People's Republic of China.
Nanotechnology
|July 24, 2020
Summary
Researchers demonstrate a novel method for controlling electrically excited surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) using two adjacent plasmonic antennas in a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) system. This technique enables directional propagation of SPPs, crucial for developing compact plasmonic circuits.
Area of Science:
- Plasmonics
- Nanophotonics
- Condensed Matter Physics
Background:
- Electrically excited surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) are crucial for on-chip information processing.
- Controlling SPP propagation is essential for integrating these elements.
- Current methods like optical antenna arrays have large footprints.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present a feasible method for controlling the propagation of electrically driven SPPs.
- To enable compact and efficient plasmonic circuit design.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing two adjacent plasmonic strip-type antennas.
- Employing a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) system.
- Engineering SPP propagation through in-plane interference effects.
Main Results:
- Achieved controlled propagation of STM-induced SPPs along a preferred direction.
- Demonstrated that antenna widths can engineer SPP propagation direction.
- Showcased a compact method for SPP steering.
Conclusions:
- The presented method offers a viable approach for controlling electrically driven SPPs.
- This technique is highly beneficial for the design of compact plasmonic circuits.
- Facilitates the integration of on-chip information processing elements.
Related Concept Videos
01:29Potential Due to a Polarized Object
648
A neutral atom consists of a positively charged nucleus surrounded by a negatively charged electron cloud. When placed in an external electric field, the external electric force pulls the electrons and nucleus apart, opposite to the intrinsic attraction between the nucleus and the electrons. The opposing forces balance each other with a slight shift between the center of masses of the nucleus and the electron cloud, resulting in a polarized atom. On the other hand, a few molecules, like water,...
648
01:31Dielectric Polarization in a Capacitor
5.7K
The presence of a dielectric medium in a capacitor not only changes the voltage and capacitance but also affects the electric field. In general, dielectrics can be of two types: polar and nonpolar. In a polar dielectric, the positive and negative charges in the molecules are separated by a distance and hence have a permanent dipole moment. In contrast, no such charge separation exists in a nonpolar dielectric, however the nonpolar molecules get polarized in the presence of an external electric...
5.7K
01:16Electric Field of Parallel Conducting Plates
1.5K
Gauss' law relates the electric flux through a closed surface to the net charge enclosed by that surface. Gauss's law can be applied to find the electric field and the charge enclosed in a region depending on its charge distribution.
Consider a cross-section of a thin, infinite conducting plate having a positive charge. For such a large thin plate, as the thickness of the plate tends to zero, the positive charges lie on the plate's two large faces. Without an external electric field, the...
Consider a cross-section of a thin, infinite conducting plate having a positive charge. For such a large thin plate, as the thickness of the plate tends to zero, the positive charges lie on the plate's two large faces. Without an external electric field, the...
1.5K
01:26Electric Field at the Surface of a Conductor
5.1K
Consider a conductor in electrostatic equilibrium. The net electric field inside a conductor vanishes, and extra charges on the conductor reside on its outer surface, regardless of where they originate.
In the 19th century, Michael Faraday conducted the famous ice pail experiment to prove that the charges always reside on the surface of a conductor. The experimental set-up consists of a conducting uncharged container mounted on an insulating stand. The outer surface of the container is...
In the 19th century, Michael Faraday conducted the famous ice pail experiment to prove that the charges always reside on the surface of a conductor. The experimental set-up consists of a conducting uncharged container mounted on an insulating stand. The outer surface of the container is...
5.1K
01:30Propagation Speed of Electromagnetic Waves
4.5K
Electromagnetic waves are consistent with Ampere's law. Assuming there is no conduction current Ampere's law is given as:
4.5K
01:27Electrostatic Boundary Conditions in Dielectrics
1.7K
When an electric field passes from one homogeneous medium to another, crossing the boundary between the two mediums imparts a discontinuity in the electric field. This results in electrostatic boundary conditions that depend on the type of mediums the field propagates through.
Consider a case where both the mediums across a boundary are two different dielectric materials. Recall that the electric field and electric displacement are proportional and related through the material's permittivity....
Consider a case where both the mediums across a boundary are two different dielectric materials. Recall that the electric field and electric displacement are proportional and related through the material's permittivity....
1.7K