Propagation Properties Of Subwavelength Plasmonic Waveguide

We are entering an age of integrated optical and electronic devices, but what limits the integration is their respective sizes. Electronic circuits can be fabricated at below 100nm. The propagation of light is obstructed by optical diffraction, and the dimensions of an optical component are on the order of micron. Although the introduction of photonic crystals brings a partial solution to these problems, the photonic crystal itself has to be several wavelengths long, because the typical period is on the order of half of a wavelength. Surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) are light waves that occur at a metal/dielectric interface, where a group of electrons is collectively moving back and forth. SPPs have both the capacity of photonics and the miniaturization of electronics, and may offer a solution to this dilemma. We can develop subwavelength plasmonic waveguide by using SPPs. SPPs are attracting wide interest of potential applications in subwavelength optics, data storage, plasmonic chips and bio-photonics.Now, SPPs are of interest to a wide spectrum of scientists, ranging from physics, chemists and materials scientists to biologists. For us, one of the most attractive aspects of SPPs is the way in which they help us to concentrate and channel light using subwavelength structures. Metal/dielectric subwavelength waveguide is seen as one of the leading technology to integrating optical and electronic devices in the future. So we will do more research on the propagation properties of SPPs subwavelength waveguide.The main research works and conclusions are as fellows: Firstly, the background of SPPs is introduced. We introduce the analytical methods of SPPs: finite difference method, finite element method, multiple multipole method. We do some research on the propagation characteristics of SPPs, and introduce dispersion model and dispersion relation. We prove that there is only TM model in SPPs in theory. We detailedly discuss propagation characteristics of SPPs mode in subwavelength waveguide. In order to compare the propagation characteristics of channel and rectangular-hole structures, effective index, propagation loss and field distribution are analyzed by using numerical analysis. We design sharp 90°bend, Y-shape splitter and S-shape subwavelength waveguide and analyze their propagation characteristics by using FDTD numerical simulation. The propagation length and confinement of these structures are good designed. As an application example of SPPs, we design a subwavelength waveguide ring resonator. Low-loss subwavelength waveguides are also one of our important research.In conclusion, our work provides future study of SPPs with theoretical basis and technological support but also for the design of subwavelength optics provide some useful, and provide reference for the design of subwavelength photonic devices。...