Plasmonic device enabling simplified fabrication
Disclosed is a plasmonic device ( 10 ), comprising: a substrate ( 11 ); and a dielectric layer ( 13 ) arranged between a base metal layer ( 12 ) and a structured metal layer ( 14 ) which form with respect to the substrate ( 11 ) a vertical stack of layers, wherein the structured metal layer ( 14 ) includes arranged in a horizontal direction an input structure ( 141 ) for enabling an input section ( 21 ), a waveguide structure ( 142 ) for enabling a plasmonic waveguide ( 22 ), and an output structure ( 143 ) for enabling an output section ( 23 ), wherein the input section ( 21 ) is configured to receive an optical input signal ( 31 ) and transmit input power ( 41 ) to the plasmonic waveguide ( 22 ), wherein the plasmonic waveguide ( 22 ) is configured to receive input power ( 41 ) from the input section ( 21 ) and transmit output power ( 43 ) to the output section ( 23 ), and wherein the output section ( 23 ) is configured to receive output power ( 43 ) from the plasmonic waveguide ( 22 ) and transmit an optical output signal ( 33 ).
1 . A plasmonic device, comprising:
a substrate, and
a dielectric layer arranged between a base metal layer and a structured metal layer which form with respect to the substrate a vertical stack of layers,
wherein the structured metal layer includes arranged in a horizontal direction an input structure for enabling an input section, a waveguide structure for enabling a horizontal plasmonic waveguide, and an output structure for enabling an output section,
wherein the input section is configured to vertically receive an optical input signal and transmit in the horizontal direction input power to the horizontal plasmonic waveguide,
wherein the horizontal plasmonic waveguide is configured to receive input power from the input section and transmit output power to the output section, and
wherein the output section is configured to receive output power in the horizontal direction from the horizontal plasmonic waveguide and vertically transmit an optical output signal, and
wherein the waveguide structure of the structured metal layer includes a plurality of laterally and electrically separated individual waveguide structures providing the horizontal plasmonic waveguide in the form of a plurality of individual plasmonic waveguides.
2 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein an area of the base metal layer is at least twice as large as an area of the waveguide structure.
3 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the waveguide structure has a rectangular form, a circular form, an oval form, or a combination thereof.
4 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the waveguide structure includes periodically arranged notchings.
5 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the structured metal layer further includes a resonant element.
6 . The device according to claim 5 , wherein the resonant element is arranged adjacent to the waveguide structure.
7 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the input structure and/or the output structure include a grating structure.
8 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the base metal layer is deposited on the substrate.
9 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the structured metal layer is deposited on the substrate.
10 . The device according to claim 1 , further comprising an optical waveguide layer for transmitting optical signals in an essentially horizontal direction, wherein the waveguide layer is optically connected to the structured metal layer.
11 . The device according to claim 1 , further comprising one or more additional layers deposited on the substrate, the base metal layer, the dielectric layer and/or the structured metal layer.
12 . The device according to claim 11 , wherein the one or more additional layers relate to metal layers and/or insulating layers.
13 . The device according to claim 1 , further comprising a superstrate/cladding.
14 . The device according to claim 1 , further comprising electrical pads for connecting an electrical signal generator and/or an electrical signal detector to the base metal layer and the waveguide structure.
15 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the base metal layer and/or the structured metal layer is selected from Gold, Silver, Copper, Aluminum, or an alloy thereof.
16 . A plasmonic modulator comprising a plasmonic device according to claim 1 .
17 . A plasmonic detector comprising a plasmonic device according to claim 1 .
18 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the dielectric layer is selected from a material which provides one or more of a second-order nonlinearity and a third-order nonlinearity.
19 . A plasmonic device, comprising:
a substrate, and
a dielectric layer arranged between a base metal layer and a structured metal layer which form with respect to the substrate a vertical stack of layers, wherein the structured metal layer includes arranged in a horizontal direction an input structure for enabling an input section, a waveguide structure for enabling a horizontal plasmonic waveguide, and an output structure for enabling an output section, wherein the input section is configured to receive an optical input signal and transmit input power to the horizontal plasmonic waveguide, wherein the horizontal plasmonic waveguide is configured to receive input power from the input section and transmit output power to the output section, and wherein the output section is configured to receive output power from the horizontal plasmonic waveguide and transmit an optical output signal,
wherein the waveguide structure of the structured metal layer includes notchings which are arranged in the horizontal direction so as to not affect a thickness of the dielectric layer, and
wherein the notchings are periodically arranged to control wavelength ranges where transmission or reflection occurs.
20 . The device according to claim 19 , wherein the notchings are V-shaped.