Letter abstract
Nature Photonics 2, 496 - 500 (2008)
Published online: 11 July 2008 | doi:10.1038/nphoton.2008.131
Subject Category: Plasmonics
A hybrid plasmonic waveguide for subwavelength confinement and long-range propagation
R. F. Oulton1, V. J. Sorger1, D. A. Genov1, D. F. P. Pile1 & X. Zhang1
Abstract
The emerging field of nanophotonics1 addresses the critical challenge of manipulating light on scales much smaller than the wavelength. However, very few feasible practical approaches exist at present. Surface plasmon polaritons2, 3 are among the most promising candidates for subwavelength optical confinement3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. However, studies of long-range surface plasmon polaritons have only demonstrated optical confinement comparable to that of conventional dielectric waveguides, because of practical issues including optical losses and stringent fabrication demands3, 11, 12, 13. Here, we propose a new approach that integrates dielectric waveguiding with plasmonics. The hybrid optical waveguide consists of a dielectric nanowire separated from a metal surface by a nanoscale dielectric gap. The coupling between the plasmonic and waveguide modes across the gap enables 'capacitor-like' energy storage that allows effective subwavelength transmission in non-metallic regions. In this way, surface plasmon polaritons can travel over large distances (40–150 
m) with strong mode confinement (ranging from 
2/400 to 2/40). This approach is fully compatible with semiconductor fabrication techniques and could lead to truly nanoscale semiconductor-based plasmonics and photonics.
- NSF Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center, 3112 Etcheverry Hall, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
Correspondence to: X. Zhang1 e-mail: xiang@berkeley.edu
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