Coupling interaction between a single emitter and the propagating surface plasmon polaritons in a graphene microribbon waveguide

The coupling interaction between an individual optical emitter and the propagating surface plasmon polaritons in a graphene microribbon （GMR） waveguide is investigated by numerical calculations, where the emitter is situated above the GMR or in the same plane of the GMR, The results reveal a multimode coupling mechanism for the strong interaction between the emitter and the propagating plasmonic waves in graphene. When the emitter is situated in the same plane of the GMR, the decay rate from the emitter to the surface plasmon polaritons increases more than 10 times compared with that in the case with the emitter above the GMR.

Surface plasmon polariton at the interface of dielectric and graphene medium using Kerr effect

We theoretically investigate the control of surface plasmon polariton（SPP） generated at the interface of dielectric and graphene medium under Kerr nonlinearity. The controlled Kerr nonlinear signal of probe light beam in a dielectric medium is used to generate SPPs at the interface of dielectric and graphene medium. The positive, negative absorption, and dispersion properties of SPPs are modified and controlled by the control and Kerr fields. A large amplification（negative absorption） is noted for SPPs under the Kerr nonlinearity. The normal/anomalous slope of dispersion and propagation length of SPPs is modified and controlled with Kerr nonlinearity. This leads to significant variation in slow and fast SPP propagation. The controlled slow and fast SPP propagation may predict significant applications in nano-photonics, optical tweezers, photovoltaic devices, plasmonster, and sensing technology.

Graphene surface plasmon polaritons transport on curved substrates

We theoretically investigate the transport property of graphene surface plasmon polaritons(GSPPs) on curved graphene substrates. The dispersion relationship, propagation length, and field confinement are calculated by an analytical method and compared with those on planar substrates. Based on our theory, the bend of graphene nearly does not affect the property of GSPPs except for an extremely small shift to the lower frequency for the same effective mode index. The field distributions and the eigenfrequencies of GSPPs on planar and cylindrical substrates are calculated by the finite element method, which validates our theoretical analysis. Moreover, three types of graphene-guided optical interconnections of GSPPs, namely, planar to curved graphene film, curved to planar graphene film, and curved to curved graphene film, are proposed and examined in detail. The theoretical results show that the GSPPs propagation on curved graphene substrates and interconnections will not induce any additional losses if the phase-matching condition is satisfied. Additionally, the extreme tiny size of curved graphene for interconnection at a certain spectra range is predicted by our theory and validated by the simulation of 90° turning of GSPPs. The bending effect on the property of GSPPs is systematically analyzed and identified. Our studies would be helpful to instruct design of plasmonic devices involving curved GSPPs, such as nanophotoniccircuits, flexible plasmonic, and biocompatible devices.

Ultra-thin and light-weight spoof surface plasmon polariton coupler achieved by broadside coupled split ring resonators

Low profile and light weight are very important for practical applications of a spoof surface plasmon polariton（SSPP）coupler, especially at low frequencies. In this paper, we propose and design an ultra-thin, light-weight SSPP coupler based on broadside coupled split ring resonators（BC-SRRs）. The size of BC-SRR can be far less than λ/100 and can extremely well control the reflective phases within a subwavelength thickness. Due to the broadside capacitive coupling, the electrical size of BC-SRR is dramatically reduced to guarantee the ultra-thin thickness of the SSPP coupler. The weight of the SSPP coupler is reduced by a low occupation ratio of BC-SRR in the unit cell volume. As an example, a C-band SSPP coupler composed of phase gradient BC-SRRs is designed, fabricated, and measured. Due to the ultra-small size and low occupation ratio of BC-SRRs, the thickness of the coupler is λ/12 and the surface density is only 0.98 kg/m^2. Both simulation and experiment results verify that the coupler can achieve high-efficiency SPP coupling at 5.27 GHz under normal incidence.

Mode splitting and multiple-wavelength managements of surface plasmon polaritons in coupled cavities

Resonance cavity is a basic element in optics,which has wide applications in optical devices.Coupled cavities(CCs)designed in metal-insulator-metal(MIM)bus waveguide are investigated through the finite difference time domain method and coupled-mode theory.In the CCs,the resonant modes of the surface plasmon polaritons(SPPs)split with the thickness decreasing of the middle baffle.Through the coupled-mode theory analysis,it is found that the phase differences introduced in opposite and positive couplings between two cavities lead to mode splitting.The resonant wavelength of positive coupling mode can be tuned in a large range(about 644 nm)through adjusting the coupling strength,which is quite different from the classical adjustment of the optical path in a single cavity.Based on the resonances of the CCs in the MIM waveguide,more compact devices can be designed to manipulate SPPs propagation.A device is designed to realize flexible multiple-wavelength SPPs routing.The coupling in CC structures can be applied to the design of easy-integrated laser cavities,filters,multiple-wavelength management devices in SPPs circuits,nanosensors,etc.

Plasmonic characteristics of suspended graphene-coated wedge porous silicon nanowires with Ag partition

We investigate a graphene-coated nanowire waveguide(GCNW) composed of two suspended wedge porous silicon nanowires and a thin Ag partition. The plasmonic characteristics of the proposed structure in terahertz(THz) frequency band are simulated by the finite element method(FEM). The parameters including the gap between the nanowires and Ag partition, the height of the nanowire, the thickness of the Ag partition, and the Fermi level of graphene, are optimized. The simulation results show that a normalized mode field area of ~10-4 and a figure of merit of ~100 can be achieved. Compared with the cylindrical GCNW and isolated GCNW, the proposed wedge GCNW has good electric field enhancement.A waveguide sensitivity of 32.28 is obtained, which indicates the prospects of application in refractive index(RI) sensing in THz frequency band. Due to the adjustable plasmonic characteristics by changing the Fermi level(EF), the proposed structure has promising applications in the electro-optic modulations, optical interconnects, and optical switches.

Surface plasmon-coupled radiative heat transfer between graphene-covered magnetic Weyl semimetals

Weyl semimetals(WSMs)have recently attracted considerable research attention because of their remarkable optical and electrical properties.In this study,we investigate the near-field radiative heat transfer(NFRHT)between graphene-covered Weyl slabs,particularly focusing on the supported coupled surface plasmon polaritons(SPPs).Unlike bare Weyl slabs where the epsilon-near-zero(ENZ)effect contributes the most to the NFRHT,adding a monolayer graphene sheet yields coupled SPPs,i.e.,the coupling of graphene SPPs(GSPPs)and Weyl SPPs(WSPPs),which dominates the NFRHT.The graphene sheet greatly suppresses the ENZ effect by compressing the parallel wavevector,thereby enabling the heat transfer coefficient(HTC)to be significantly changed.Further,for the graphene-covered magnetic Weyl slab configuration,an increase in the number of Weyl nodes suppresses the SPP coupling and ENZ effect,thereby weakening the NFRHT with a regulation ratio of 4.4 whereas an increase in the Fermi level slightly influences the NFRHT.Several typical heterostructures are also proposed for comparison,and results show that a mono-cell structure has the largest total HTC.Our findings will facilitate the understanding of surface plasmon-coupled radiative heat transfer and enable opportunities in energy harvesting and thermal management at the nanoscale based on WSM-based systems.

Tunable terahertz radiation from arbitrary profile dielectric grating coated with graphene excited by an electron beam

In this paper, the enhanced terahertz radiation transformed from surface plasmon polaritons, excited by a uniformly moving electron bunch, in a structure consisting of a monolayer graphene supported on a dielectric grating with arbitrary profile is investigated. The results show that the grating profile has significant influence on the dispersion curves and radiation characteristics including radiation frequency and intensity. The dependence of dispersion and radiation characteristics on the grating shape for both the symmetric and asymmetric gratings is studied in detail. Moreover, we find that, for an asymmetric grating with certain profile, there exist two different diffraction types, and one of the two types can provide higher radiation intensity comparing to the other one. These results will definitely facilitate the practical application in developing a room-temperature, tunable, coherent and miniature terahertz radiation source.

Synergistic graphene/aluminum surface plasmon coupling for zinc oxide lasing improvement

Collective oscillations of free electrons generate plasmons on the surface of a material. A whispering-gallery microcavity effectively confines the light field on its surface based on the total reflection from its internal wall. When these two kinds of electromagnetic waves meet each other, the stimulated emissions from an individual ZnO microrod were enhanced more than 50-fold and the threshold was reduced after the whispering-gallery microcavity was coated with a monolayer of graphene and A1 nanoparticles. The improvement of the lasing performance was attributed to the synergistic energy coupling of the graphene/A1 surface plasmons with ZnO excitons. The lasing characteristics and the coupling mechanism were investigated systematically.

Numerical analysis of end-fire coupling of surface plasmon polaritons in a metal-insulator-metal waveguide using a simple photoplastic connector

We propose a design for efficient end-fire coupling of surface plasmon polaritons in a metal-insulator-metal(MIM) waveguide with an optical fiber as part of a simple photoplastic connector. The design was analyzed and optimized using the three-dimensional finite-difference time-domain method. The calculated excitation efficiency coefficient of the waveguide is 83.7%(-0.77 dB) at a wavelength of 405 nm. This design enables simple connection of an optical fiber to a MIM waveguide and highly efficient local excitation of the waveguide.Moreover, the length of the metallic elements of the waveguide, and thus the dissipative losses, can be reduced.The proposed design may be useful in plasmonic-type waveguide applications such as near-field investigation of live cells and other objects with super-resolution.

Graphene-plasmon polaritons： From fundamental properties to potential applications

With unique possibilities for controlling light in nanoscale devices, graphene plasmonics has opened new perspectives to the nanophotonics community with potential applications in metamaterials, modulators, photodetectors, and sensors. In this paper, we briefly review the recent exciting progress in graphene plasmonics. We begin with a general description of the optical properties of graphene, particularly focusing on the dispersion of graphene-plasmon polaritons. The dispersion relation of graphene-plasmon polaritons of spatially extended graphene is expressed in terms of the local re- sponse limit with an intraband contribution.／~Vith this theoretical foundation of graphene-plasmon polaritons, we then discuss recent exciting progress, paying specific attention to the following top- ics： excitation of graphene plasmon polaritons, electron-phonon interactions in graphene on polar substrates, and tunable graphene plasmonics with applications in modulators and sensors. Finally, we address some of the apparent challenges and promising perspectives of graphene plasmonics.

Plasmonic interactions between a perforated gold film and a thin gold film

Based on the finite difference time domain method, we investigated theoretically the optical properties and the plasmonic interactions between a gold film perforated with periodic sub-wavelength holes and a thin gold film. We showed that the plasmon resonant energies and intensities depend strongly on the thicknesses of the two films and the lattice constant. Based on the distributions of normal electric field component Ez, tangential electric field component Ey and total energy, we showed that the optical transmission is due to the collaboration of the localized waveguide resonance, the surface plasmon resonance and the coupling of the fiat-surface plasmon of the two layers.

面向极端环境的石墨烯人工表面等离激元天线阵

面向极端环境中的通信与探测需求,提出一种石墨烯人工表面等离激元天线阵。该天线采用高导电石墨烯薄膜材料制成,结构形式为人工表面等离激元。其中,人工表面等离激元电磁结构分为传输段与辐射段,传输段用以实现显著的慢波特性与场局域性,进而获得低剖面与小型化;辐射段用以实现高定向性的端射辐射,并进行方向图合成。高导电石墨烯薄膜使天线拥有多种物化环境下的耐受性。经仿真与实测验证,天线整体剖面为50μm,在1000次弯折试验、-200~200℃高低温试验、酸性试验、碱性试验、盐雾试验的极端条件试验后,能够提供5.5~6.5 GHz频段范围内S11参数小于-10 dB良好的阻抗匹配,工作带宽内峰值增益为9.3 dBi。

表面等离激元与入射光共同作用下的金纳米结构近场调控

表面等离激元(surface plasmon polariton,SPP)激发纳米结构产生的局域等离激元(localized surface plasmon,LSP)具有更强的近场增强以及特殊的光谱和动力学响应,为探究光与物质相互作用提供了新的思路,然而目前对此方面的研究相对不足.本文利用时域有限差分方法研究由半圆环狭缝与金纳米棒组成的等离激元聚焦透镜复合结构在双光束激发下的近场特性.结果表明,通过调节双光束相对时间延时,可实现对复合体系中金纳米棒近场强度的灵活调控,并揭示出调控机制来自于SPP激发LSP与光激发LSP相干叠加.此外,研究表明在不同双光束延迟时间下,等离激元模式对应的去相位时间存在差异,可将其归因于两个模式在不同延迟时间下的耦合强度存在差异所致.该研究有望进一步促进等离激元在表面增强拉曼散射和等离激元远程催化等领域的应用.

基于CMOS的新型人工表面等离激元滤波器设计

本文基于0.18μm CMOS工艺提出了一种新型微波人工表面等离激元(Spoof Surface Plasmon Polariton,SSPP)耦合式滤波器结构并进行加工和测量,同时设计了一种太赫兹SSPP四边形滤波器并进行了全波仿真.新型微波SSPP耦合式滤波器通带为11~12.3 GHz(S_(11)<-10 dB,S_(21)>-3.5 dB),结构紧凑,电尺寸仅为0.0184λ_(g)×0.0084λ_(g),远小于其他基于集成电路工艺设计的无源滤波器.通过优化与调整,可以将新型微波SSPP耦合式滤波器的性能进一步优化到要求范围内.太赫兹SSPP四边形滤波器通带为210.8~241.3 GHz(S_(11)<-10 dB,S_(21)>-4.7 dB),带内插入损耗仅为2.7 dB,带外抑制良好.两种SSPP滤波器均采用非接触式电磁耦合的新型能量传递方式,结构设计新颖,并且微波段SSPP耦合式滤波器小型化优势明显,电尺寸仅为0.019λ_(g)×0.009λ_(g),易于芯片集成.本文提出的两种SSPP滤波器经过等比例缩放,可工作在微波、毫米波以及太赫兹频段,为新型片上无源滤波器的研究设计提供参考和借鉴.

一种基于石墨烯表面等离激元的电调虚像龙伯透镜

本文提出了一种具有电调虚像特性的石墨烯表面等离激元透镜(GPL)。GPL的设计原理是基于石墨烯表面等离激元(SPP)折射率与化学势之间的非线性关系。通过控制石墨烯的偏置电压,可以实现虚像位置连续调节,并采用射线追踪方法计算不同虚像焦距对应的偏置电压。为了表征虚像在全波仿真场图中的位置,我们在石墨烯表面上创建了一对组合透镜。本文所提出的GPL实现了可调的虚像特性,为高自适应、紧凑的成像透镜设计提供了新的思路。

石墨烯动态调控太赫兹表面等离激元

太赫兹表面等离激元(SPPs)是利用亚波长周期性结构在太赫兹频段模拟的具有与可见光频段表面等离激元相似的光学特性的电磁波,分为传输型和局域型2种。本文将石墨烯引入太赫兹表面等离激元结构作为动态激励源,通过外加偏压改变石墨烯的电导率,分别实现了对传输型表面等离激元的幅度、频率、相位和对局域表面等离激元共振强度的动态调控。本文方法为表面等离激元的动态调控提供了新的思路,拓宽了表面等离激元在太赫兹频段的应用。

Surface plasmon polaritons based optical directional coupler

As a basic optical device, the optical directional coupler (ODC) is basically used as optical splitters, optic switches and so on. A novel ODC employing surface plas- mon polaritons (SPPs) is proposed for high integration. The finite difference time domain (FDTD) method is adopted to simulate and analyze its properties. Results show that the ODC proposed here follows the general regulations of a conventional dielectric ODC, but its transverse size is of nanoscale, which improves the optical integration greatly. For 1550 nm and 1310 nm input wavelengths, when the coupling region length (L) equals half of its coupling length, the Excess Loss is respectively 0.57 dB and 0.56 dB, which is practical in applications. So the research on the present ODC is of some practical importance.