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Efficient unidirectional nanoslit couplers for surface plasmons

Nature Physics volume 3, pages 324–328 (2007)Cite this article

Abstract

The emerging field of plasmonics is based on exploiting the coupling between light and collective electronic excitations within conducting materials known as surface plasmons. Because the so-called surface plasmon polariton (SPP) modes that arise from this coupling are not constrained by the optical diffraction limit, it is hoped that they could enable the construction of ultracompact optical components1,2. But in order that such potential can be realized, it is vital that the relatively poor light–SPP coupling be improved. This is made worse by the fact that the incident light that is conventionally used to launch SPPs in a metal film 3,4,5,6 is a significant source of noise, unless directed away from a region of interest, which then decreases the signal and increases the system’s size. Back-side illumination of subwavelength apertures in optically thick metal films7,8,9,10,11,12,13 eliminates this problem but does not ensure a unique propagation direction for the SPP. We propose a novel back-side slit-illumination method that incorporates a periodic array of grooves carved into the front side of a thick metal film. Bragg reflection enhances the propagation of SPPs away from the array, enabling them to be unidirectionally launched from, and focused to, a localized point.

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Figure 1: Scanning electron micrographs and schematic diagrams of the structures investigated.
Figure 2: Theoretical and experimental results for the SPP launcher at wavelength λ=800 nm.
Figure 3: Experimental results and modal expansion calculations for the spectral dependence of ER at the telecom range.
Figure 4: Simultaneous unidirectional SPP excitation and focusing using a curved slit flanked with concentric periodic grooves.

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Acknowledgements

Financial support by the EC under Project FP6-2002-IST-1-507879 (Plasmo-Nano-Devices) is gratefully acknowledged. We thank J. Dintinger and J.-Y. Laluet for technical assistance.

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Author notes

  1. M. U. González

    Present address: Present address: ICFO-Institut de Ciències Fotòniques, Mediterranean Technology Park, E-08860 Castelldefels, Barcelona, Spain,

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Física de la Materia Condensada-ICMA, Universidad de Zaragoza, E-50009 Zaragoza, Spain

    F. López-Tejeira, Sergio G. Rodrigo & L. Martín-Moreno

  2. Departamento de Física Teórica de la Materia Condensada, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, E-28049 Madrid, Spain

    F. J. García-Vidal

  3. Laboratoire de Nanostructures, ISIS, Université Louis Pasteur, F-67000 Strasbourg, France

    E. Devaux & T. W. Ebbesen

  4. Institute of Physics, Karl Franzens University, Universitätsplatz 5, A-8010 Graz, Austria

    J. R. Krenn

  5. Department of Physics and Nanotechnology, Aalborg University, DK-9220 Aalborg, Denmark

    I. P. Radko & S. I. Bozhevolnyi

  6. Laboratoire de Physique de l’Université de Bourgogne, UMR CNRS 5027, F-21078 Dijon, France

    M. U. González, J. C. Weeber & A. Dereux

Authors
  1. F. López-Tejeira
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  2. Sergio G. Rodrigo
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  3. L. Martín-Moreno
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  4. F. J. García-Vidal
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  5. E. Devaux
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  9. S. I. Bozhevolnyi
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  10. M. U. González
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  11. J. C. Weeber
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to L. Martín-Moreno.

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The authors declare no competing financial interests.

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López-Tejeira, F., Rodrigo, S., Martín-Moreno, L. et al. Efficient unidirectional nanoslit couplers for surface plasmons. Nature Phys 3, 324–328 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1038/nphys584

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