Engineering the propagation of high-k bulk plasmonic waves in multilayer hyperbolic metamaterials by multiscale structuring

Abstract

Propagation of large-wavevector bulk plasmonic waves in multilayer hyperbolic metamaterials (HMMs) with two levels of structuring is theoretically studied. It is shown that when the parameters of a subwavelength metal-dielectric multilayer (“substructure”) are modulated (“superstructured”) on a larger, wavelength scale, the propagation of bulk plasmon polaritons in the resulting multiscale HMM is subject to photonic band gap phenomena. A great degree of control over such plasmons can be exerted by varying the superstructure geometry. As an example, Bragg reflection and Fabry-Perot resonances are demonstrated in multiscale HMMs with periodic superstructures. More complicated, aperiodically ordered superstructures are also considered, with fractal Cantor-like multiscale HMMs exhibiting characteristic self-similar spectral signatures in the high-k band. The multiscale HMM concept is shown to be a promising platform for using high-k bulk plasmonic waves as a new kind of information carriers, which can be used in far-field subwavelength imaging and plasmonic communication.