Abstract
A theoretical and numerical investigation of tunable plasmonic nano-optic lens on the basis of liquid crystal are proposed as a new method of active modulating the output beam. The focal length can be controlled easily by exposing plasmonic nano-optic lens to constant external electric field. The physical principle of this phenomenon is evaluated from the phase of Fabry-Perot (F-P) resonance in slits and electro-optical effect of liquid crystal. Our numerical simulations reveal that large tuning range of the focal length up to 725 nm can be achieved. The results in this article provide a potential way to realize tunable plasmonic lens, which can be applied as an efficient element in ultrahigh nano-scale integrated photonic circuits for miniaturization and tuning purposes.
Highlights
In recent years, optical waveguides that are based on Surface Plasmons (SPs) have triggered an explosion of interest
Since the discovery of extraordinary optical transmission (EOT) through a two-dimensional hole array perforated on a metallic film in 1998 [2], there has been a tremendous research effort in the analysis and realization of subwavelength metallic structures
A nano-optic device which possesses multifunctional capabilities in shaping and processing an optical beam comprises a variety of subwavelength slits in a metal film or between metal islands
Summary
Optical waveguides that are based on Surface Plasmons (SPs) have triggered an explosion of interest. Surface plasmons, excited in metallic surface, have been promoted as the main vector responsible for EOT phenomenon These researches are considered to be a very promising area for designing new types of nano-optic devices with variant structures in metallic films [3]. Metallic nano-optic lenses can implement beam focusing with variable slit depths [5], slit widths [6], geometries [7], and materials [8] They show great potential for novel applications, ranging from ultrahighresolution imaging, single-molecular biosensing, optical data storage, optical-based on-chip analysis to nanolithography. The dependence of effective refractive index and phase retardation of SPPs propagation in the slits on the misalignments of the liquid crystal molecules, explain the physical principle underlying the phenomenon of active focal length control.
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