Terahertz Optoelectronics with Surface Plasmon Polariton Diode

Abstract

The field of plasmonics has experience a renaissance in recent years by providing a large variety of new physical effects and applications. Surface plasmon polaritons, i.e. the collective electron oscillations at the interface of a metal/semiconductor and a dielectric, may bridge the gap between electronic and photonic devices, provided a fast switching mechanism is identified. Here, we demonstrate a surface plasmon-polariton diode (SPPD) an optoelectronic switch that can operate at exceedingly large signal modulation rates. The SPPD uses heavily doped p-n junction where surface plasmon polaritons propagate at the interface between n and p-type GaAs and can be switched by an external voltage. The devices can operate at transmission modulation higher than 98% and depending on the doping and applied voltage can achieve switching rates of up to 1 THz. The proposed switch is compatible with the current semiconductor fabrication techniques and could lead to nanoscale semiconductor-based optoelectronics.

Spectroscopic Observation of Calcium‐Induced Reorientation of Cellobiose Dehydrogenase Immobilized on Electrodes and its Effect on Electrocatalytic Activity

“…Propagating waves of oscillating electrons that occur at the interface between a metal and a dielectric, known as surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs), have attracted great interest in the field of optoelectronics 5 and may help provide a crucial enabling link for optoelectronics 6, 7 since they bridge the gap between nanoscale electronic and ∼micron‐scale optics. Plasmon propagation can be modulated via the dielectric’s optical properties: previous investigators have explored SPP switches using photochromic 8, p‐n junction 9, electrooptical 10–13, magneto‐optical 14, or thermo‐optical 15, 16 control. SPPs have also been extensively exploited in sensing applications 17–20, as the SPP dispersion serves as an indicator of pH or local (near the SPP‐supporting interface) electrochemical conditions.…”

Drift-induced modifications to the dynamical polarization of graphene

“…Otherwise, to assess the overall drift-induced change in the TM-SPP propagation length, the increase in the temperature-induced plasmon damping [50,52,53] resulting from the Joule heating of the current-carrying device should be taken into account. The higher decay rate for the AP branch suggests the possibility of the application of dc current as a plasmonic brake to establish a one-way EM waveguide [54][55][56].…”

Near‐field enhancements and surface plasmon polaritons with multifunctional oxide thin films

“…Tip‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS), where Raman and apertureless near‐field scanning optical microscopy are combined through interaction with a noble metal tip, is a powerful characterization technique in nanotechnology. This combination provides high‐sensitivity and high spatial resolution, hitherto very useful for the characterization of nanometer and subnanometer sized materials . In TERS, a sharp tip apex (approximately 10–50 nm) can lead to an extremely localized electromagnetic field, which resonates with the incident radiation and results in a local mode surface plasmon.…”