Frankfurt 2006 – wissenschaftliches Programm
Bereiche | Tage | Auswahl | Suche | Downloads | Hilfe
SYPC: Photonic Crystals
SYPC 1: Symposium “Photonic Crystals” I
SYPC 1.4: Hauptvortrag
Mittwoch, 15. März 2006, 15:30–16:00, HV
Surface plasmon routing along right angle bent metal strips — •Alain Dereux — Laboratoire de Physique de l’Université de Bourgogne, BP 47870, F-21078 Dijon, France
Surface Plasmons Polaritons (SPP) are electromagnetic waves that propagate along the surface of a conductor. The structure of a metal surface can be controlled by nanofabrication techniques in order to tailor the properties of surface plasmons and more specifically their interaction with visible and infra-red light, thereby offering the potential for developping new photonic devices. Surface plasmons physics is being explored for its potential in subwavelength optics, data storage, solar cells, microscopy and biosensing. Surface plasmons photonics, also called plasmonics, could evolve as a promising candidate to satisfy the constraints of miniaturisation of optical devices down to subwavelength sizes. An appealing feature of plasmonic circuitry is that it enables to carry optical signals and electric currents through the same thin metal circuitry, thereby opening the perspectives of unprecedented technical combinations to insert electrically driven devices on the same circuitry on which light is propagating. After a brief overview of plasmon optics, this contribution will present basic optical functionalities, such as Bragg mirrors or filters, that are already demonstrated by prototypes of plasmonic devices. The feasibility of routing SPP along metal stripes waveguides with 90o bents by the integration of tilted micro-gratings acting as Bragg mirrors in the strips. The quantitative characterization of the mirrors efficiency, performed by means of photon scanning tunneling microscopy, shows that losses as low as 1.9 dB can be achieved. Moreover, SPP 50/50 beamsplitters have been obtained by an appropriate design of the Bragg mirrors constituting elements.