Abstract
Abstract We demonstrate control over the spatial and temporal properties of surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) launched from nanohole arrays in silver. The arrays provide wave vector matching to allow the conversion of free-space photons into counter-propagating SPPs. SPPs launched from multiple arrays interfere at well-defined spatial positions, and the interference fringes form an all-SPP periodic nano-optical grating which evolves in space and time as the SPPs propagate. The spatio-temporal characteristics of the optical grating can be tuned through various nanohole array parameters such as tilt angle, separation, and array width. In addition, we examine multiperiodic arrays (MPAs) consisting of arrays with different pitches placed adjacent to one another. This platform allows the temporal interference of SPPs with different central wavelengths to be tailored through the MPA geometric and structural parameters. The temporal interference serves as an encoded signal, whereby the frequency components can be controlled by the array properties.
Highlights
We demonstrate control over the spatial and temporal properties of surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) launched from nanohole arrays in silver
We have demonstrated that control over the SPP spatial and temporal properties can be achieved via interference between carefully chosen counterpropagating SPPs
Two such SPPs interacting at an angle produce a spatial interference pattern that changes in space as the two SPPs evolve
Summary
We demonstrate control over the spatial and temporal properties of surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) launched from nanohole arrays in silver. Surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) are electron chargedensity waves that may be excited at the boundary between metals and dielectrics Due to their interfacial confinement, the integration of SPPs in photonic devices is anticipated to bridge the gap between the microlength and nanolength scales in optical circuit development, effectively miniaturizing and boosting the information transfer rates of traditional electronic circuitry [1,2,3]. Our present design employs noncollinear SPPs which propagate and interfere over a volume governed by the 2PG geometric parameters, periodicity, and orientation This allows the spatial intensity patterns of SPP fields to be tailored in amplitude and phase. We realize a 2D amplitude modulator or synthesizer, operating at optical frequencies These complementary approaches may be regarded as spatial and temporal analogs of tailored SPP interference
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