Sub-wavelength mixed type surface plasma optical waveguide

Abstract

The invention discloses a mixed type surface plasma optical waveguide with a sub-wavelength optical field limit capacity. The cross section of the waveguide structure comprises a metal basement layer (1), a low-refractive-index dielectric layer (2), a high-refractive-index dielectric area (3), a high-refractive-index dielectric area (4) and a cladding (5), wherein the low-refractive-index dielectric layer (2) is positioned on the metal basement layer, the high-refractive-index dielectric area (3) is inlaid in the low-refractive-index dielectric layer, and the high-refractive-index dielectric area (4) is positioned on the low-refractive-index dielectric layer (2). The metal basement layer (1) and the high-refractive-index dielectric area (4) close to the metal basement layer (1) can limit an optical field in the low-refractive-index dielectric layer (2). Meanwhile, as the high-refractive-index dielectric area (3) exists, the distribution range of optical fields can be further shrunk, and the sub-wavelength restriction for transmission optical fields is realized. The optical waveguide structure further increases the mode field limit capacity of the traditional mixed type waveguide, meanwhile keeps lower transmission loss, and provides probability for the realization of an optical waveguide chip with an ultrahigh integrated level.

Description

technical field [0001] The invention relates to the field of optical waveguide technology, in particular to a sub-wavelength hybrid surface plasmon optical waveguide. Background technique [0002] Surface plasmon optical waveguide technology has attracted extensive attention from experts and scholars at home and abroad in recent years, and has become an emerging research field of nanophotonics. Surface plasmon is a non-radiative electromagnetic wave formed by the mutual coupling of free electrons and incident photons on the metal surface. mode, which is a mixed excited state that propagates locally on the surface of the metal and the dielectric. This mode exists near the metal-dielectric interface, and its field strength reaches its maximum at the interface, and decays exponentially on both sides of the interface along the direction perpendicular to the interface. Surface plasmons have strong field confinement properties, which can confine the field energy to a region whose...

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Problems solved by technology

Among them, the dielectric / metal / dielectric optical waveguide has low transmission loss, but its poor mode field confinement ability restricts its application in high-integration optical circuits; on the other hand, the metal / dielectric / metal optical waveguide has strong Mode field limitation capability, but its transmission loss is too large, making it impossible to transmit long-distance optical signals

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