Abstract

A metal–insulator–metal (MIM) waveguide with a periodic change of dielectric materials in its insulator layer is proposed to create a voltage-controlled one-dimensional plasmonic Bragg reflector. $\mathrm{KN}\mathrm{b}{\mathrm{O}}_3$ is used as one portion of the dielectric material so that the refractive index of the insulator layer can be varied by an external applied voltage. In our analysis, the transfer matrix method is employed to design and optimize the transmission spectra of the MIM waveguide Bragg reflector. The reflectivity at the on (bias voltage of $65\mathrm{V}$) and off (bias voltage of $-65\mathrm{V}$) states is shown to be >74% and <7%, respectively, for the operating wavelength of $1.5\mathrm{\mu m}$. The results are also verified by the finite-difference time-domain method. Furthermore, the modulation response of the MIM waveguide is studied. For the device area and average insulator layer thickness to be $10\mu m\times 40\mu m$ and $615\mathrm{nm}$, respectively, it is found that the turn-on reflectivity of the waveguide is only slightly reduced to 69% at the $-3\mathrm{dB}$ point in comparison with 75% for its steady-state performance.

© 2009 Optical Society of America

Broad-bandgap and low-sidelobe surface plasmon polariton reflector with Bragg-grating-based MIM waveguide

Yongkang Gong, Leiran Wang, Xiaohong Hu, Xiaohui Li, and Xueming Liu
Opt. Express 17(16) 13727-13736 (2009)

Modeling and design methodology for metal-insulator-metal plasmonic Bragg reflectors

Amir Hosseini, Hamid Nejati, and Yehia Massoud
Opt. Express 16(3) 1475-1480 (2008)

High order plasmonic Bragg reflection in the metal-insulator-metal waveguide Bragg grating

Junghyun Park, Hwi Kim, and Byoungho Lee
Opt. Express 16(1) 413-425 (2008)

Magneto-optic surface plasmon polariton modulator based on refractive index variations

M. Khatir and N. Granpayeh
Appl. Opt. 53(12) 2539-2547 (2014)

Optical bistability in metal–insulator–metal plasmonic Bragg waveguides with Kerr nonlinear defects

Hua Lu, Xueming Liu, Yongkang Gong, Dong Mao, and Leiran Wang
Appl. Opt. 50(10) 1307-1311 (2011)