Plasmonic interface and method of manufacturing thereof

1. A method of manufacturing a layered material stack comprising:

providing a substrate layer;

disposing a layer of plasmonic material on the substrate layer;

depositing a metal constituent of an optical waveguide material directly onto the layer of plasmonic material; and

anodizing the metal constituent of the optical waveguide material to form an optically transparent oxide of the metal constituent configured to couple light into the layer of plasmonic material, the optically transparent oxide of the metal constituent forming an optical waveguide structure;

wherein anodizing the metal constituent of the optical waveguide material comprises applying an electric current to the metal constituent of the optical waveguide material through the layer of plasmonic material, the layer of plasmonic material functioning as an electrode for performing the anodization.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein depositing a metal constituent of an optical waveguide material comprises:

depositing a metal constituent of a first optical waveguide material directly onto the layer of plasmonic material; and

depositing a metal constituent of a second optical waveguide material directly onto the metal constituent of the first optical waveguide material;

wherein the optically transparent oxide of the metal constituent of the first optical waveguide material has a refractive index lower than that of an optically transparent oxide of the metal constituent of the second optical waveguide material.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the metal constituent of the first optical waveguide material comprises aluminum and the metal constituent of the second optical waveguide material comprises tantalum.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein anodizing the metal constituent of the optical waveguide material comprises anodizing the aluminum and the tantalum to form aluminum oxide (Al 2 O 3 ) and tantalum pentoxide (Ta 2 O 5 ).

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the layer of plasmonic material comprises one of gold and silver.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the optical waveguide structure comprises a stoichiometric film.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the optical waveguide structure is in direct atomic contact with the layer of plasmonic material, without an adhesion interlayer being present between the optical waveguide structure and the layer of plasmonic material.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising applying an adhesion layer between the substrate layer and the layer of plasmonic material to adhere the substrate layer to the layer of plasmonic material.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the layered material stack is configured for use in a near-field light generating device.

10. A layered material stack comprising:

substrate layer;

a layer of plasmonic material disposed on the substrate layer; and

an anodized optical waveguide structure affixed directly onto the layer of plasmonic material, the anodized optical waveguide structure comprising an optically transparent metal oxide;

wherein the optical waveguide structure is in direct atomic contact with the layer of plasmonic material, without an adhesion interlayer being applied between the optical waveguide structure and the layer of plasmonic material; and

wherein the optical waveguide structure comprises:

a first optical waveguide material deposited directly onto the layer of plasmonic material, the first optical waveguide material comprising aluminum oxide (Al 2 O 3 ); and

a second optical waveguide material deposited directly onto the first optical waveguide material, the second optical waveguide material comprising tantalum pentoxide (Ta 2 O 5 );

wherein the at Al 2 O 3 and Ta 2 O 5 are deposited as an aluminum and tantalum constituent of the respective Al 2 O 3 and Ta 2 O 5 , prior to an anodization thereof that forms the Al 2 O 3 and Ta 2 O 5 .

11. The layered material stack of claim 10 wherein the layer of plasmonic material comprises one of gold and silver.

12. The layered material stack of claim 10 wherein the optical waveguide structure comprises a stoichiometric film.

13. The layered material stack of claim 10 wherein the layered material stack is integrated into a near-field light generating device.

14. A method for fabricating a layered material stack for a near-field light generating device comprising:

providing a substrate layer;

applying an adhesion layer to the substrate layer;

affixing a thin film plasmonic material to the substrate layer by way of the adhesion layer;

depositing a thin film metal layer directly on the thin film plasmonic material, the thin film metal layer comprising a metal constituent of an optical light pipe material; and

anodizing the thin film metal layer to form an optically transparent oxide of the metal constituent, the optically transparent oxide of the metal constituent forming a thin film optical light pipe on the thin film plasmonic material;

wherein anodizing the thin film metal layer comprises applying an electric current to the thin film metal layer by way of the thin film plasmonic material, the thin film plasmonic material functioning as an electrode for performing the anodization; and

wherein the thin film optical light pipe is in direct contact with the thin film plasmonic material, without an adhesion interlayer being present between the thin film optical light pipe and the thin film plasmonic material.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein depositing the thin film metal layer comprises applying at least one of a thin film metal constituent of a waveguide layer and a thin film metal constituent of a buffer layer.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the thin film metal constituent of the waveguide layer comprises a thin film tantalum layer and the thin film metal constituent of the buffer layer comprises a thin film aluminum layer, with the at least one of the thin film tantalum layer and the thin film aluminum layer being anodized to form at least one of tantalum pentoxide (Ta 2 O 5 ) and aluminum oxide (Al 2 O 3 ).

17. The method of claim 14 wherein anodizing the thin film metal layer forms a stoichiometric thin film optical light pipe.