Plasmon switching: Observation of dynamic surface plasmon steering by selective mode excitation in a sub-wavelength slit

doi:10.1364/OE.20.015326

Plasmon switching: Observation of dynamic surface plasmon steering by selective mode excitation in a sub-wavelength slit

S. B. Raghunathan, C. H. Gan, T. van Dijk, B. Ea Kim, H. F. Schouten, W. Ubachs, P. Lalanne, and T. D. Visser »View Author Affiliations

Optics Express, Vol. 20, Issue 14, pp. 15326-15335 (2012)
http://dx.doi.org/10.1364/OE.20.015326

View Full Text Article

Enhanced HTML Acrobat PDF (1269 KB)

Journal Search
Article Lookup

Article Tools

Citations

Alert me when this article is cited
Export Citation/Save

Abstract
Article Info
References (27)
Cited By
Figures (5)
Metrics
Related Content

Abstract

We report a plasmon steering method that enables us to dynamically control the direction of surface plasmons generated by a two-mode slit in a thin metal film. By varying the phase between different coherent beams that are incident on the slit, individual waveguide modes are excited. Different linear combinations of the two modes lead to different diffracted fields at the exit of the slit. As a result, the direction in which surface plasmons are launched can be controlled. Experiments confirm that it is possible to distribute an approximately constant surface plasmon intensity in any desired proportion over the two launching directions. We also find that the anti-symmetric mode generates surface plasmons more efficiently than the fundamental symmetric mode.

OCIS Codes
(240.6680) Optics at surfaces : Surface plasmons
(260.1960) Physical optics : Diffraction theory
(310.2790) Thin films : Guided waves
(310.2785) Thin films : Guided wave applications
(250.5403) Optoelectronics : Plasmonics
(240.3990) Optics at surfaces : Micro-optical devices

ToC Category:
Optics at Surfaces

History
Original Manuscript: May 3, 2012
Revised Manuscript: June 11, 2012
Manuscript Accepted: June 14, 2012
Published: June 22, 2012

Citation
S. B. Raghunathan, C. H. Gan, T. van Dijk, B. Ea Kim, H. F. Schouten, W. Ubachs, P. Lalanne, and T. D. Visser, "Plasmon switching: Observation of dynamic surface plasmon steering by selective mode excitation in a sub-wavelength slit," Opt. Express 20, 15326-15335 (2012)
http://www.opticsinfobase.org/oe/abstract.cfm?URI=oe-20-14-15326

Sort: Author | Year | Journal | Reset

References

H. Raether, Surface Plasmons on Smooth and Rough Surfaces and on Gratings (Springer, Berlin, 1988).
H. A. Atwater, “The promise of plasmonics,” Scientific American296, 56–62 (2007. [CrossRef] [PubMed]
T. W. Ebbesen, H. J. Lezec, H. F. Ghaemi, T. Thio, and P. A. Wolff, “Extraordinary optical transmission through subwavelength hole arrays,” Nature (London)391, 667–669 (1998). [CrossRef]
T. Thio, K. M. Pellerin, R. A. Linke, H. J. Lezec, and T. W. Ebbesen, “Enhanced light transmission through a single subwavelength aperture,” Opt. Lett.26, 1972–1974 (2001). [CrossRef]
B. Steinberger, A. Hohenau, H. Ditlbacher, F. R. Aussenegg, A. Leitner, and J. R. Krenn, “Dielectric stripes on gold as surface plasmon waveguides: Bends and directional couplers,” Appl. Phys. Lett.91, 081111 (2007). [CrossRef]
S. A. Maier, P. G. Kik, H. A. Atwater, S. Meltzer, E. Harel, B. E. Koel, and A. A. G. Requicha, “Local detection of electromagnetic energy transport below the diffraction limit in metal nanoparticle plasmon waveguides,” Nature Materials2, 229–232 (2003). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
Q. Gan, Y. Gao, and F. J. Bartoli, “Vertical plasmonic Mach-Zehnder interferometer for sensitive optical sensing,” Opt. Express17, 20747–20755 (2009). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
M.A. Noginov, G. Zhu, A.M. Belgrave, R. Bakker, V.M. Shalaev, E. Narimanov, S. Stout, E. Herz, T. Suteewong, and U. Wiesner, “Demonstration of a spaser-based nanolaser,” Nature (London)460, 1110–1113 (2009). [CrossRef]
J.S.Q. Liu, R.A. Pala, F. Afshinmanesh, W. Cai, and M.L. Brongersma, “A submicron plasmonic dichroic splitter,” Nat. Commun.2:525 (2011). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
F. López-Tejeira, S. G. Rodrigo, L. Martín-Moreno, F. J. García-Vidal, E. Devaux, T. W. Ebbesen, J. R. Krenn, I. P. Radko, M. U. González, J. C. Weeber, and A. Dereux, “Efficient unidirectional nanoslit couplers for surface plasmons,” Nat. Phys.3, 324–328 (2007). [CrossRef]
Y. Wang, X. Zhang, H. Tang, K. Yang, Y. Wang, Y. Song, T. Wei, and C. H. Wang, “A tunable unidirectional surface plasmon polaritons source,” Opt. Express17, 20457–20464 (2009). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
X. Li, Q. Tan, B. Bai, and G. Jin, “Experimental demonstration of tunable directional excitation of surface plasmon polaritons with a subwavelength metallic double slit,” Appl. Phys. Lett.98, 251109 (2011). [CrossRef]
A. Baron, E. Devaux, J. C. Rodier, J. P. Hugonin, E. Rousseau, C. Genet, T. Ebbesen, and P. Lalanne, “Compact antenna for efficient and unidirectional launching and decoupling of surface plasmons,” Nano Lett.11, 4207–4212 (2011). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
M. Miyata and J. Takahara, “Excitation control of long-range surface plasmons by two incident beams,” Opt. Express20, 9493–9500 (2012). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
M. Besbes, J. P. Hugonin, P. Lalanne, S. van Haver, O. T. A. Janssen, A. M. Nugrowati, M. Xu, S. F. Pereira, H.P. Urbach, A. S. van de Nes, P. Bienstman, G. Granet, A. Moreau, S. Helfert, M. Sukharev, T. Seideman, F. I. Baida, B. Guizal, and D. Van Labeke, “Numerical analysis of a slit-groove diffraction problem,” J. Eur. Opt. Soc. Rapid Publ.2, 07022 (2007). [CrossRef]
P. Lalanne, J. P. Hugonin, H. Liu, and B. Wang, “A microscopic view of the electromagnetic properties of sub-λ metallic surfaces,” Surf. Sci. Rep.64, 453–469 (2009). [CrossRef]
E. D. Palik (ed.), Handbook of Optical Constants of Solids (Academic Press, San Diego, 1998).
H. Liu, P. Lalanne, X. Yang, and J. P. Hugonin “Surface plasmon generation by subwavelength isolated objects,” IEEE J. Sel. Top. Quantum Electron.14, 1522–1529 (2008). [CrossRef]
L. Verslegers, Z. Yu, P. B. Catrysse, and S. Fan, “Temporal coupled-mode theory for resonant apertures,” J. Opt. Soc. Am. B27, 1947–1956 (2010). [CrossRef]
C. F. Bohren and D. R. Huffman, Absorption and Scattering of Light by Small Particles (Wiley, New York, 1983).
J. A. Schuller and M. L. Brongersma, “General properties of dielectric optical antennas,” Opt. Express17, 24084–24095 (2009). [CrossRef]
P. Lalanne and J. P. Hugonin, “Interaction between optical nano-objects at metallo-dielectric interfaces,” Nat. Phys.2, 551–556, (2006). [CrossRef]
C. Vassallo, Optical Waveguide Concepts (Elsevier, Amsterdam, 1991).
F.J. García-Vidal, H. J. Lezec, T. W. Ebbesen, and L. Martín-Moreno, “Multiple paths to enhance optical transmission through a single subwavelength slit,” Phys. Rev. Lett.90, 213901 (2003). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
A. Degiron and T. W. Ebbesen, “Analysis of the transmission process through single apertures surrounded by periodic corrugations,” Opt. Express12, 3694–3700 (2004). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
K. Aydin, A. O. Cakmak, L. Sahin, Z. Li, F. Bilotti, L. Vegni, and E. Ozbay, “Split-ring-resonator-coupled enhanced transmission through a single subwavelength aperture,” Phys. Rev. Lett.102, 013904 (2009). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
K. F. MacDonald, Z. L. Sámson, M. I. Stockman, and N. I. Zheludev, “Ultrafast active plasmonics,” Nat. Photonics3, 55–58 (2009). [CrossRef]

Afshinmanesh, F.
Atwater, H. A.
Aussenegg, F. R.
Aydin, K.
Bai, B.
Baida, F. I.
Bakker, R.
Baron, A.
Bartoli, F. J.
Belgrave, A.M.
Besbes, M.
Bienstman, P.
Bilotti, F.
Bohren, C. F.
Brongersma, M. L.
Brongersma, M.L.
Cai, W.
Cakmak, A. O.
Catrysse, P. B.
Degiron, A.
Dereux, A.
Devaux, E.
Ditlbacher, H.
Ebbesen, T.
Ebbesen, T. W.
Fan, S.
Gan, Q.
Gao, Y.
García-Vidal, F. J.
García-Vidal, F.J.
Genet, C.
Ghaemi, H. F.
González, M. U.
Granet, G.
Guizal, B.
Harel, E.
Helfert, S.
Herz, E.
Hohenau, A.
Huffman, D. R.
Hugonin, J. P.
Janssen, O. T. A.
Jin, G.
Kik, P. G.
Koel, B. E.
Krenn, J. R.
Lalanne, P.
Leitner, A.
Lezec, H. J.
Li, X.
Li, Z.
Linke, R. A.
Liu, H.
Liu, J.S.Q.
López-Tejeira, F.
MacDonald, K. F.
Maier, S. A.
Martín-Moreno, L.
Meltzer, S.
Miyata, M.
Moreau, A.
Narimanov, E.
Noginov, M.A.
Nugrowati, A. M.
Ozbay, E.
Pala, R.A.
Pellerin, K. M.
Pereira, S. F.
Radko, I. P.
Raether, H.
Requicha, A. A. G.
Rodier, J. C.
Rodrigo, S. G.
Rousseau, E.
Sahin, L.
Sámson, Z. L.
Schuller, J. A.
Seideman, T.
Shalaev, V.M.
Song, Y.
Steinberger, B.
Stockman, M. I.
Stout, S.
Sukharev, M.
Suteewong, T.
Takahara, J.
Tan, Q.
Tang, H.
Thio, T.
Urbach, H.P.
van de Nes, A. S.
van Haver, S.
Van Labeke, D.
Vassallo, C.
Vegni, L.
Verslegers, L.
Wang, B.
Wang, C. H.
Wang, Y.
Weeber, J. C.
Wei, T.
Wiesner, U.
Wolff, P. A.
Xu, M.
Yang, K.
Yang, X.
Yu, Z.
Zhang, X.
Zheludev, N. I.
Zhu, G.

Cited By

Alert me when this paper is cited

OSA is able to provide readers links to articles that cite this paper by participating in CrossRef's Cited-By Linking service. CrossRef includes content from more than 3000 publishers and societies. In addition to listing OSA journal articles that cite this paper, citing articles from other participating publishers will also be listed.

Click here to see a list of articles that cite this paper

Figures


Fig. 1	Fig. 2	Fig. 3


Fig. 4	Fig. 5

« Previous Article | Next Article »

OSA is a member of CrossRef.

[1] H. Raether, Surface Plasmons on Smooth and Rough Surfaces and on Gratings (Springer, Berlin, 1988).

[2] H. A. Atwater, “The promise of plasmonics,” Scientific American296, 56–62 (2007. [CrossRef] [PubMed]

[3] T. W. Ebbesen, H. J. Lezec, H. F. Ghaemi, T. Thio, and P. A. Wolff, “Extraordinary optical transmission through subwavelength hole arrays,” Nature (London)391, 667–669 (1998). [CrossRef]

[4] T. Thio, K. M. Pellerin, R. A. Linke, H. J. Lezec, and T. W. Ebbesen, “Enhanced light transmission through a single subwavelength aperture,” Opt. Lett.26, 1972–1974 (2001). [CrossRef]

[5] B. Steinberger, A. Hohenau, H. Ditlbacher, F. R. Aussenegg, A. Leitner, and J. R. Krenn, “Dielectric stripes on gold as surface plasmon waveguides: Bends and directional couplers,” Appl. Phys. Lett.91, 081111 (2007). [CrossRef]

[6] S. A. Maier, P. G. Kik, H. A. Atwater, S. Meltzer, E. Harel, B. E. Koel, and A. A. G. Requicha, “Local detection of electromagnetic energy transport below the diffraction limit in metal nanoparticle plasmon waveguides,” Nature Materials2, 229–232 (2003). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

[7] Q. Gan, Y. Gao, and F. J. Bartoli, “Vertical plasmonic Mach-Zehnder interferometer for sensitive optical sensing,” Opt. Express17, 20747–20755 (2009). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

[8] M.A. Noginov, G. Zhu, A.M. Belgrave, R. Bakker, V.M. Shalaev, E. Narimanov, S. Stout, E. Herz, T. Suteewong, and U. Wiesner, “Demonstration of a spaser-based nanolaser,” Nature (London)460, 1110–1113 (2009). [CrossRef]

[9] J.S.Q. Liu, R.A. Pala, F. Afshinmanesh, W. Cai, and M.L. Brongersma, “A submicron plasmonic dichroic splitter,” Nat. Commun.2:525 (2011). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

[10] F. López-Tejeira, S. G. Rodrigo, L. Martín-Moreno, F. J. García-Vidal, E. Devaux, T. W. Ebbesen, J. R. Krenn, I. P. Radko, M. U. González, J. C. Weeber, and A. Dereux, “Efficient unidirectional nanoslit couplers for surface plasmons,” Nat. Phys.3, 324–328 (2007). [CrossRef]

[11] Y. Wang, X. Zhang, H. Tang, K. Yang, Y. Wang, Y. Song, T. Wei, and C. H. Wang, “A tunable unidirectional surface plasmon polaritons source,” Opt. Express17, 20457–20464 (2009). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

[12] X. Li, Q. Tan, B. Bai, and G. Jin, “Experimental demonstration of tunable directional excitation of surface plasmon polaritons with a subwavelength metallic double slit,” Appl. Phys. Lett.98, 251109 (2011). [CrossRef]

[13] A. Baron, E. Devaux, J. C. Rodier, J. P. Hugonin, E. Rousseau, C. Genet, T. Ebbesen, and P. Lalanne, “Compact antenna for efficient and unidirectional launching and decoupling of surface plasmons,” Nano Lett.11, 4207–4212 (2011). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

[14] M. Miyata and J. Takahara, “Excitation control of long-range surface plasmons by two incident beams,” Opt. Express20, 9493–9500 (2012). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

[15] M. Besbes, J. P. Hugonin, P. Lalanne, S. van Haver, O. T. A. Janssen, A. M. Nugrowati, M. Xu, S. F. Pereira, H.P. Urbach, A. S. van de Nes, P. Bienstman, G. Granet, A. Moreau, S. Helfert, M. Sukharev, T. Seideman, F. I. Baida, B. Guizal, and D. Van Labeke, “Numerical analysis of a slit-groove diffraction problem,” J. Eur. Opt. Soc. Rapid Publ.2, 07022 (2007). [CrossRef]

[16] P. Lalanne, J. P. Hugonin, H. Liu, and B. Wang, “A microscopic view of the electromagnetic properties of sub-λ metallic surfaces,” Surf. Sci. Rep.64, 453–469 (2009). [CrossRef]

[17] E. D. Palik (ed.), Handbook of Optical Constants of Solids (Academic Press, San Diego, 1998).

[18] H. Liu, P. Lalanne, X. Yang, and J. P. Hugonin “Surface plasmon generation by subwavelength isolated objects,” IEEE J. Sel. Top. Quantum Electron.14, 1522–1529 (2008). [CrossRef]

[19] L. Verslegers, Z. Yu, P. B. Catrysse, and S. Fan, “Temporal coupled-mode theory for resonant apertures,” J. Opt. Soc. Am. B27, 1947–1956 (2010). [CrossRef]

[20] C. F. Bohren and D. R. Huffman, Absorption and Scattering of Light by Small Particles (Wiley, New York, 1983).

[21] J. A. Schuller and M. L. Brongersma, “General properties of dielectric optical antennas,” Opt. Express17, 24084–24095 (2009). [CrossRef]

[22] P. Lalanne and J. P. Hugonin, “Interaction between optical nano-objects at metallo-dielectric interfaces,” Nat. Phys.2, 551–556, (2006). [CrossRef]

[23] C. Vassallo, Optical Waveguide Concepts (Elsevier, Amsterdam, 1991).

[24] F.J. García-Vidal, H. J. Lezec, T. W. Ebbesen, and L. Martín-Moreno, “Multiple paths to enhance optical transmission through a single subwavelength slit,” Phys. Rev. Lett.90, 213901 (2003). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

[25] A. Degiron and T. W. Ebbesen, “Analysis of the transmission process through single apertures surrounded by periodic corrugations,” Opt. Express12, 3694–3700 (2004). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

[26] K. Aydin, A. O. Cakmak, L. Sahin, Z. Li, F. Bilotti, L. Vegni, and E. Ozbay, “Split-ring-resonator-coupled enhanced transmission through a single subwavelength aperture,” Phys. Rev. Lett.102, 013904 (2009). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

[27] K. F. MacDonald, Z. L. Sámson, M. I. Stockman, and N. I. Zheludev, “Ultrafast active plasmonics,” Nat. Photonics3, 55–58 (2009). [CrossRef]

OpticsInfoBase

Optics Express

Plasmon switching: Observation of dynamic surface plasmon steering by selective mode excitation in a sub-wavelength slit