An ultra-short contra-directional coupler utilizing surface plasmon-polaritons at optical frequencies

doi:10.1364/OE.14.007279

An ultra-short contra-directional coupler utilizing surface plasmon-polaritons at optical frequencies

Yan Wang, Rubaiyat Islam, and George V. Eleftheriades »View Author Affiliations

Optics Express, Vol. 14, Issue 16, pp. 7279-7290 (2006)
http://dx.doi.org/10.1364/OE.14.007279

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Abstract

A nano-scaled coupled-line coupler based on the guidance of surface plasmon-polaritons (SPPs) is proposed, designed and simulated at optical frequencies. The coupler comprises layered dielectric materials and silver, which serve as two stacked nano-transmission lines to achieve broadside coupling. The key property of this coupler is that it operates based on the principle of contra-directional coupling between a forward and a backward wave giving rise to supermodes that are characterized by complex-conjugate eigenvalues (even when the materials are assumed lossless). The resulting exponential attenuation along the coupler leads to dramatically reduced coupling lengths compared to previously reported co-directional SPP couplers (e.g. from millimeters to submicrons). The effect of material losses and finite coupler width are also analyzed.

OCIS Codes
(230.3990) Optical devices : Micro-optical devices
(240.0310) Optics at surfaces : Thin films
(240.5420) Optics at surfaces : Polaritons
(240.6680) Optics at surfaces : Surface plasmons

ToC Category:
Optics at Surfaces

History
Original Manuscript: May 17, 2006
Revised Manuscript: July 26, 2006
Manuscript Accepted: July 26, 2006
Published: August 7, 2006

Citation
Yan Wang, Rubaiyat Islam, and George V. Eleftheriades, "An ultra-short contra-directional coupler utilizing surface plasmon-polaritons at optical frequencies," Opt. Express 14, 7279-7290 (2006)
http://www.opticsinfobase.org/oe/abstract.cfm?URI=oe-14-16-7279

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References

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