6533b81ffe1ef96bd1278351

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Polymer-metal plasmonic waveguide : passive and active components for integrated photonics

subject

description

Dielectric loaded surface plasmon polariton waveguides (DLSPPWs) enable transmission at a sub-wavelength scale of both electrical and plasmonic (optical waves at the interface between a metal and a dielectric) signals in the same circuitry. Moreover, the use of a polymer as the dielectric load enables the functionalization of DLSPPWs. Therefore, this configuration is of great interest for integrated photonic applications. However, DLSPPWs suffer strong losses due to dissipation into the metal film. We address here the possibility of compensating the losses using a configuration analogous to an optical amplifier. We first set theoretical (effective index model), numerical (differential method and Green's function method) and experimental (leakage radiation microscopy) tools adapted for the optimization and the characterization of these guides. Once the modal confinement has been optimized at telecom wavelength λ=1.55 µm, we consider a polymer doped with quantum dots. The guided surface plasmon mode in the doped polymer-metal system is excited while an additional laser pumps the quantum dots in their excited states. Quantum dots relaxation by stimulated emission of surface plasmon polariton offers an optical gain. This phenomenon is characterized by leakage radiation microscopy in the direct space (imaging plane) and in the back focal space (Fourier plane). This demonstration is a step towards integrated photonics and interconnection of all-optical miniaturized circuitry.