Spoof surface plasmon-based bandpass filter with extremely wide upper stopband

We investigate the guiding modes of spoof surface plasmon polaritons(SPPs) on a symmetric ultra-thin plasmonic structure. From the analysis, we deduce the operating frequency region of the single-mode propagation. Based on this property, a spoof SPPs lowpass filter is then constituted in the microwave frequency. By introducing a transmission zero at the lower frequency band using a pair of stepped-impedance stubs, a wide passband filter is further realized. The proposed filter is fed by a transducer composed of a microstrip line with a flaring ground. The simulated results show that the presented filter has an extremely wide upper stopband in addition to excellent passband filtering characteristics such as low loss, wide band, and high square ratio. A prototype passband filter is also fabricated to validate the predicted performances.The proposed spoof-SPPs filter is believed to be very promising for other surface waveguide components in microwave and terahertz bands.     

Polarization-insensitive unidirectional spoof surface plasmon polaritons coupling by gradient metasurface

A polarization-insensitive unidirectional spoof surface plasmon polariton(SPP) coupler mediated by a gradient metasurface is proposed. The field distributions and average Poynting vector of the coupled spoof SPPs are analyzed. The simulated and experimental results support the theoretical analysis and indicate that the designed gradient metasurface can couple both the parallel-polarized and normally-polarized incident waves to the spoof SPPs propagating in the same direction at about 5 GHz.     

Broadband amplification of spoof surface plasmon polaritons at microwave frequencies

Efficient amplification of spoof surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) is proposed at microwave frequencies by using a subwavelength‐scale amplifier. For this purpose, a special plasmonic waveguide composed of two ultrathin corrugated metallic strips on top and bottom surfaces of a dielectric substrate with mirror symmetry is presented, which is easy to integrate with the amplifier. It is shown that spoof SPPs are able to propagate on the plasmonic waveguide in broadband with low loss and strong subwavelength effect. By loading a low‐noise amplifier chip produced by the semiconductor technology, the first experiment is demonstrated to amplify spoof SPPs at microwave frequencies (from 6 to 20GHz) with high gain (around 20dB), which can be directly used as a SPP amplifier device. The features of strong field confinement, high efficiency, broadband operation, and significant amplification of the spoof SPPs may advance a big step towards other active SPP components and integrated circuits.

     

微波频段表面等离子激元波导滤波器的实验研究

基于理论分析, 实验研究了二维磁单负材料/双正材料/磁单负材料表面等离子波导的滤波效应. 研究表明, 该波导结构具有低通滤波性质, 引入分支缺陷之后, 由于谐振效应该波导具有带阻滤波效应. 分支缺陷相当于亚波长谐振腔, 谐振腔的长度决定带阻滤波器的中心频率, 而中心频率几乎不受缺陷位置的影响; 滤波器透射率下降的幅度由耦合距离决定. 通过引入谐振腔及改变谐振腔的长度、数量以及耦合间距等参数, 可以实现可调节的表面等离子波导滤波器. 实验结果与理论分析符合得很好, 该性质将在可调的单通道或多通道带阻滤波器件中具有潜在的应用价值. 关键词： 表面等离子激元 特异材料波导 谐振腔 滤波器     

Ultra-wideband surface plasmonic bandpass filter with extremely wide upper-band rejection

An ultra-wideband bandpass filter (BPF) with a wide out-of-band rejection based on a surface plasmonic waveguide (SPW) slotline with ring grooves is designed and analyzed. A paired microstrip-to-slotline transition is designed for quasi-TEM to TM mode conversion by using a microstrip line with a circular pad and the slotline with the same circular slot. The mode conversion between the TM and the surface plasmon polariton (SPP) mode is realized by using a gradient slotline with ring grooves and an impedance matching technique. The upper cut-off frequencies of the passband can be adjusted by using these proposed SPP units, while the lower frequencies of the passband are created by using the microstrip-to-slotline transitions to give an ultra-wideband BPF. The dispersion curves of SPP units, electric field distribution, and the transmission spectra of the proposed ultra-wideband bandpass filter are all calculated and analyzed by the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method. The simulated results show that the presented filter has good performance including a wide 3-dB bandwidth of 149% from 0.57 GHz to 3.93 GHz, an extremely wide 40-dB upper-band rejection from 4.2 GHz to 18.5 GHz, and low loss and high selectivity in the passband. To prove the design validity, a prototype of the BPF has been manufactured and measured, showing a reasonable agreement with simulation results. The unique features of the proposed BPF may make it applicable for integrated circuit and plasmonic devices in microwave or THz frequency ranges.     

Broadband and high‐efficiency conversion from guided waves to spoof surface plasmon polaritons

The conversion from spatial propagating waves to surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) has been well studied, and shown to be very efficient by using gradient‐index metasurfaces. However, feeding energies into and extracting signals from functional plasmonic devices or circuits through transmission lines require the efficient conversion between SPPs and guided waves, which has not been reported, to the best of our knowledge. In this paper, a smooth bridge between the conventional coplanar waveguide (CPW) with 50 Ω impedance and plasmonic waveguide (e.g., an ultrathin corrugated metallic strip) has been proposed in the microwave frequency, which converts the guided waves to spoof SPPs with high efficiency in broadband. A matching transition has been proposed and designed, which is constructed by gradient corrugations and flaring ground, to match both the momentum and impedance of CPW and the plasmonic waveguide. Simulated and measured results on the transmission coefficients and near‐filed distributions show excellent transmission efficiency from CPW to a plasmonic waveguide to CPW in a wide frequency band. The high‐efficiency and broadband conversion between SPPs and guided waves opens up a new avenue for advanced conventional plasmonic integrated functional devices and circuits.     

Numerical investigation of the enhanced unidirectional surface plasmon polaritons generator

A unidirectional surface plasmon polaritons(SPPs) generator with greatly enhanced generation efficiency is proposed. The SPPs generator consists of an asymmetric single nanoslit coated with a polyviny alcohol(PVA) film and a silver rectangle block. The generation efficiency of this SPPs generator is investigated using the finite difference time domain method. Due to the presence of the silver rectangle block, the SPPs generation efficiency of the asymmetric single nanoslit with PVA film can be greatly enhanced and the corresponding wavelength with the maximum enhancement factor can be tuned flexibly. The influence of the structural parameters on the generation efficiency is also investigated for the enhanced unidirectional SPPs generator.     

Photonic bandgap structures for long-range surface plasmon polaritons

Propagation of long-range surface plasmon polaritons (LR-SPPs) along periodically thickness-modulated metal stripes embedded in dielectric is studied both theoretically and experimentally for light wavelengths in the telecom range. We demonstrate that symmetric (with respect to the film surface) nm-size thickness variations result in the pronounced band gap effect, and obtain very good agreement between measured and simulated (transmission and reflection) spectra. This effect is exploited to realize a compact wavelength add-drop filter with the bandwidth of 20 nm centered at 1550 nm. The possibilities of achieving a full bandgap (in the surface plane) for LR-SPPs are also discussed.     

Surface plasmon polaritons frequency-blue shift in low confinement factor excitation region

Surface plasmon polaritons' (SPPs') frequency blue shift is observed in finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulation of parallel electron excitation Au bulk structure. Comparing with cold dispersion of SPPs, an obvious frequency blue shift is obtained in low confinement region excitation simulation results. Then, according to SPPs' transverse attenuation characteristics, the excited frequency mode instead of cold dispersion corresponding frequency mode matches it. Thence, this excited mode is confirmed to be SPPs' mode. As is well known the lower the frequency, the smaller the confinement factor is and the lower the excitation efficiency, the wider the bandwidth of excited SPPs is. And considering the attenuation in whole structure, the excited surface field contains attenuation signal. In a low confinement factor region, the higher the SPPs' frequency, the higher the excitation efficiency is, while broadband frequency information obtained in attenuation signal provides high frequency information in stimulation signal. Thence, in the beam-wave interaction, as the signal oscillation time increases, the frequency of the oscillation field gradually increases. Thus, compared with cold dispersion, the frequency of excited SPP is blueshifted This hypothesis is verified by monitoring the time domain signal of excited field in low and high confinement factor regions and comparing them. Then, this frequency-blue shift is confirmed to have commonality of SPPs, which is independent of SPPs' material and structure. Finally, this frequency-blue shift is confirmed in an attenuated total reflection (ATR) experiment. Owing to frequency dependence of most of SPPs' devices, such as coherent enhancement radiation and enhancement transmission devices, the frequency-blue shift presented here is of great influence in the SPPs applications.     

电子激励表面等离极化激元的粒子模拟

采用极化电流微分方程,对贵金属中自由电子与外电场的共振过程进行描述。将该微分方程与麦克斯韦方程相结合,运用时域有限差分(FDTD)方法,在粒子PIC模拟软件CHIPIC3D的基础上,实现了电子激励表面等离极化激元(SPPs)的模拟。通过对100 keV电子平行于银薄膜表面运动、激励起表面等离极化激元的模拟,观测并分析了SPPs的场强及模式在银薄膜表面的分布,并验证了模拟结果的正确性。     

Mode splitting and multiple-wavelength managements of surface plasmon polaritons in coupled cavities

Resonance cavity is a basic element in optics,which has wide applications in optical devices.Coupled cavities(CCs)designed in metal-insulator-metal(MIM)bus waveguide are investigated through the finite difference time domain method and coupled-mode theory.In the CCs,the resonant modes of the surface plasmon polaritons(SPPs)split with the thickness decreasing of the middle baffle.Through the coupled-mode theory analysis,it is found that the phase differences introduced in opposite and positive couplings between two cavities lead to mode splitting.The resonant wavelength of positive coupling mode can be tuned in a large range(about 644 nm)through adjusting the coupling strength,which is quite different from the classical adjustment of the optical path in a single cavity.Based on the resonances of the CCs in the MIM waveguide,more compact devices can be designed to manipulate SPPs propagation.A device is designed to realize flexible multiple-wavelength SPPs routing.The coupling in CC structures can be applied to the design of easy-integrated laser cavities,filters,multiple-wavelength management devices in SPPs circuits,nanosensors,etc.     

基于人工表面等离激元的双通带频率选择结构设计

本文提出了一种基于人工表面等离激元的频率选择结构的设计方法：将设计的频率选择表面和金属鱼骨结构阵列相结合得到一种新的频率选择结构.文中采用这种方法设计了一种具有陡截止和高透、高抑制性能的双通带频率选择结构.该结构由金属鱼骨结构阵列和上下两层相同的频率选择表面复合而成.通过仿真可得,该结构的两个通带频率范围分别是3.0–4.1和10.5–10.9 GHz,透射率均在-0.5 dB以上.透射率低于-10 dB的频率范围是4.7–9.2和12.1–18 GHz.在12.4–15.5 GHz频率范围内,该结构的透射率甚至低于-20 dB.在通带内,电磁波可以高效地透过该结构;在阻带内,该结构对电磁波的透射具有较好的抑制作用.测试结果表明用这种方法设计出的频率选择结构的实际性能和仿真基本一致.在金属鱼骨结构空隙中填入轻质泡沫后该结构具有一定的力学承载性能,可以实现结构功能一体化的设计.     

银纳米线表面等离激元波导的能量损耗

金属纳米结构的表面等离激元可以突破光学衍射极限,为光子器件的微型化和集成光学芯片的实现奠定基础.基于表面等离激元的各种基本光学元件已经研制出来.然而,由于金属结构的固有欧姆损耗以及向衬底的辐射损耗等,表面等离激元的传输能量损耗较大,极大地制约了其在纳米光子器件和回路中的应用.研究能量损耗的影响因素以及如何有效降低能量损耗对未来光子器件的实际应用具有重要意义.本文从纳米线表面等离激元的基本模式出发,介绍了它在不同条件下的场分布和传输特性,在此基础上着重讨论纳米线表面等离激元传输损耗的影响因素和测量方法以及目前常用的降低传输损耗的思路.最后给出总结以及如何进一步降低能量损耗方法的展望.表面等离激元能量损耗的相关研究对于纳米光子器件的设计和集成光子回路的构建有着重要作用.     

阿基米德螺旋微纳结构中的表面等离激元聚焦

研究光在微纳结构中的分布与传播, 实现在纳米范围内操纵光子, 对于微型光学芯片的设计有着重要意义. 本文利用聚焦离子束刻蚀方法, 在基底为石英玻璃的150 nm厚金膜上刻制了不同参数的阿基米德螺旋微纳狭缝结构, 通过改变入射光波长、手性、及螺旋结构手性和螺距等方式, 在理论和实验上系统地研究了阿基米德螺旋微纳结构中的表面等离激元聚焦性质. 我们发现, 除了入射激光偏振态、螺旋结构手性之外, 结构螺距与表面等离激元波长的比值也可以用来控制结构表面电场分布, 进而在结构中心形成0阶、1阶乃至更高阶符合隐失贝塞尔函数的涡旋电场. 通过相位分析, 我们对涡旋电场的成因进行了解释. 并利用有限时域差分的模拟方法计算了不同螺距时, 结构中形成的电场及相应空间相位分布. 最后利用扫描近场光学显微镜, 观测结构中不同的光场分布, 在结构中心得到了亚波长的聚焦光斑及符合不同阶贝塞尔函数的涡旋形表面等离激元聚焦环.     

Electromagnetic interaction between local surface plasmon polaritons and an atmospheric surface wave plasma jet

We analyze the electromagnetic interaction between local surface plasmon polaritons （SPPs） and an atmospheric surface wave plasma jet （ASWPJ） in combination with our designed discharge device. Before discharge, the excitation of the SPPs and the spatial distribution of the enhanced electric field are analyzed. During discharge, the critical breakdown electric field of the gases at atmospheric gas pressure and the surface wave of the SPPs converted into electron plasma waves at resonant points are studied. After discharge, the ionization development process of the ASWPJ is simulated using a two- dimensional fluid model. Our results suggest that the local enhanced electric field of SPPs is merely the precondition of gas breakdown, and the key mechanism in maintaining the discharge development of a low-power ASWPJ is the wave-mode conversion of the local enhanced electric field at the resonant point.     

Single-beam leaky-wave antenna with wide scanning angle and high scanning rate based on spoof surface plasmon polariton

We propose a single-beam leaky-wave antenna (LWA) with a wide-scanning angle and a high-scanning rate based on spoof surface plasmon polariton (SSPP) in this paper. The SSPP transmission line (TL) is etched with periodically arranged circular patches, which converts the slow-wave mode into the fast-wave region for radiation. The proposed LWA is designed, fabricated, and tested. The simulated results imply that the proposed LWA not only achieves a high radiation efficiency of about 81.4%, and a high scanning rate of 12.12, but also has a large scanning angle of 176° over a narrow operation bandwidth of 8.3—9.6 GHz (for |S₁₁|<-10 dB). In addition, the simulated average gain of the LWA can reach as high as 10.9 dBi. The measured scanning angle range is 175° in the operation band of 8.2—9.6 GHz, and the measured average gain is 10.6 dBi. The experimental results are consistent with the simulation, validating its performance. An antenna with high radiation efficiency, wide scanning angle range, and high scanning rate has great potential for application in radar and wireless communication systems.     

Cherenkov terahertz radiation from Dirac semimetals surface plasmon polaritons excited by an electron beam

We demonstrate a physical mechanism for terahertz(THz) generation from surface plasmon polaritons(SPPs). In a structure with a bulk Dirac semimetals(BDSs) film deposited on a dielectric substrate, the energy of the asymmetric SPP mode can be significantly enhanced to cross the light line of the substrate due to the SPP-coupling between the interfaces of the film. Therefore, the SPPs can be immediately transformed into Cherenkov radiation without removing the wavevector mismatch. Additionally, the symmetric SPP mode can also be dramatically lifted to cross the substrate light line when a buffer layer with low permittivity relative to the substrate is introduced. In this case, dual-frequency THz radiation from the two SPP modes can be generated simultaneously. The radiation intensity is significantly enhanced by over two orders due to the field enhancement of the SPPs. The radiation frequency can be tuned in the THz frequency regime by adjusting the beam energy and the chemical potential of the BDSs. Our results could find potential applications in developing room temperature, tunable, coherent, and intense THz radiation sources to cover the entire THz band.     

Role of localised surface plasmon polaritons coupling in optical transmission through double-layer metal apertures

In this paper, we investigate the optical properties of the double-layer metal films perforated with single apertures by analysing the coupling of localized surface plasmon polaritons (LSPPs). It is found that the amplitude and the wavelength of transmission peak in such a structure can be adjusted by changing the longitudinal interval D between two films and the lateral displacements d_{x} and d_{y} which are parallel and perpendicular to the polarization direction of incident light, respectively. The variation of longitudinal interval D results in the redshift of transmission peak due to the change of coupling strength of LSPPs near the single apertures. The amplitude of transmission peak decreases with the increase of d_{y} and is less than that in the case of d_{x}, which originates from the difference in coupling manner between LSPPs and the localized natures of LSPPs.     

Polarization‐free directional coupling of surface plasmon polaritons

Surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) have sparked enormous interest on nanophotonics beyond the diffraction limit for their remarkable capabilities of subwavelength confinements and strong enhancements. Due to the inherent polarization sensitivity of the SPPs [transverse‐magnetic (TM) polarization], it is a great challenge to couple the s‐polarized free‐space light to the SPPs. Here, an ultrasmall defect aperture (<λ²/2) is designed to directionally couple both the p‐ and s‐polarized incident beams to the single SPP mode in a broad bandwidth, which is guided by a subwavelength plasmonic waveguide. Simulations show that hot spots emerge at the sharp corners of the defect aperture when the incident beams illuminate it from the back side. The strong radiative fields from the hot spots are directionally coupled to the SPP mode because of the symmetry breaking of the defect aperture. By adjusting the structural parameters, both the unidirectional and bidirectional SPP coupling from the two orthogonal linear‐polarization incident beams are experimentally demonstrated. The polarization‐free coupling of the SPPs is of importance in circuits for fully optical processing of information with a deep‐subwavelength footprint.

     

Long-range surface plasmon polaritons with subwavelength mode expansion in an asymmetrical system

Long-range surface plasmon polariton (LRSPP) modes in an asymmetrical system, in which the thin metal film is sandwiched between a semi-infinite substrate and a high permittivity polymer film with a finite thickness, are theoretically calculated and analyzed. Due to the high permittivity of the polymer film, at proper polymer film thicknesses, the index-matching condition of the dielectrics at both sides of the metal can be satisfied for supporting LRSPP modes, and the electromagnetic field above the metal can be localized well. It is found that these LRSPP modes have both long propagation lengths and subwavelength mode expansion above the metal at the optimal polymer film thicknesses. Furthermore, the requirements on the refractive index and the thickness of the polymer film to support LRSPP modes at the optimal thicknesses are found to be not critical.