Abstract
Recently a surface plasmon polariton (SPP) source based on an electrically operated semiconductor laser has been demonstrated. Here we present a numerical investigation of the light-SPP coupling process involved in the device. The problem consists in the coupling via a diffraction grating between a dielectric waveguide mode--the laser mode--and a SPP mode. The issue of the coupling efficiency is discussed, and the dependence on various geometrical parameters of both the grating and the dielectric waveguide is studied in detail. A maximum coupling efficiency of ≈24% is obtained at telecom wavelengths, which could lead to a high-power integrated SPP source when combined to a laser medium.
Highlights
Surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) are electromagnetic modes confined to the close vicinity of a metal-dielectric interface, which originate from charge density oscillations coupled to the photon field [1]
Numerical simulations relying on a finite-element approach are performed, and we find a maximum coupling efficiency higher than 24%
Spatial confinement of surface plasmon polariton (SPP) at short wavelengths eases the numerical modeling of the problem, but especially the results can be directly applied to implement an efficient SPP source that operates at telecom wavelengths, a device which would be of much interest for the field of plasmonics
Summary
Surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) are electromagnetic modes confined to the close vicinity of a metal-dielectric interface, which originate from charge density oscillations coupled to the photon field [1]. Recent interest in plasmonics is motivated in part by two possible applications: integrated plasmonics [2,3] and nanosensing [4] The former one is expected to provide a technology capable of transmitting signals at the sub-micron-scale and with optical data-rates, bridging fast – but diffraction limited – photonics and highly integrated – but strongly speed limited by the RC delay – electronics [5]. A semiconductor surface plasmon polariton source has been experimentally demonstrated [14] at mid-infrared wavelengths It is comprised of an electrically pumped laser cavity topped by a passive plasmonic waveguide into which SPPs are launched thanks to a grating coupler. Compared to other configurations, such a coupler is compact [12] and it can be integrated [11] since it is sufficient to just deposit a metallic layer – comprised of the SPP-carrying strip and the diffraction grating – above the dielectric waveguide layers
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