Fundamentals of Plasmonics.- Electromagnetics of Metals.- Surface Plasmon Polaritons at Metal / Insulator Interfaces.- Excitation of Surface Plasmon Polaritons at Planar Interfaces.- Imaging Surface Plasmon Polariton Propagation.- Localized Surface Plasmons.- Electromagnetic Surface Modes at Low Frequencies.- Applications.- Plasmon Waveguides.- Transmission of Radiation Through Apertures and Films.- Enhancement of Emissive Processes and Nonlinearities.- Spectroscopy and Sensing.- Metamaterials and Imaging with Surface Plasmon Polaritons.- Concluding Remarks.

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Plasmonics: Fundamentals and Applications

Electronic circuits provide us with the ability to control the transport and storage of electrons. However, the performance of electronic circuits is now becoming rather limited when digital information needs to be sent from one point to another. Photonics offers an effective solution to this problem by implementing optical communication systems based on optical fibers and photonic circuits. Unfortunately, the micrometer-scale bulky components of photonics have limited the integration of these components into electronic chips, which are now measured in nanometers. Surface plasmon-based circuits, which merge electronics and photonics at the nanoscale, may offer a solution to this size-compatibility problem. Here we review the current status and future prospects of plasmonics in various applications including plasmonic chips, light generation, and nanolithography.

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Plasmonics: merging photonics and electronics at nanoscale dimensions.

We review the field of cavity optomechanics, which explores the interaction between electromagnetic radiation and nano- or micromechanical motion This review covers the basics of optical cavities and mechanical resonators, their mutual optomechanical interaction mediated by the radiation pressure force, the large variety of experimental systems which exhibit this interaction, optical measurements of mechanical motion, dynamical backaction amplification and cooling, nonlinear dynamics, multimode optomechanics, and proposals for future cavity quantum optomechanics experiments In addition, we describe the perspectives for fundamental quantum physics and for possible applications of optomechanical devices

Cavity Optomechanics

Graphene and other two-dimensional materials, such as transition metal dichalcogenides, have rapidly established themselves as intriguing building blocks for optoelectronic applications, with a strong focus on various photodetection platforms The versatility of these material systems enables their application in areas including ultrafast and ultrasensitive detection of light in the ultraviolet, visible, infrared and terahertz frequency ranges These detectors can be integrated with other photonic components based on the same material, as well as with silicon photonic and electronic technologies Here, we provide an overview and evaluation of state-of-the-art photodetectors based on graphene, other two-dimensional materials, and hybrid systems based on the combination of different two-dimensional crystals or of two-dimensional crystals and other (nano)materials, such as plasmonic nanoparticles, semiconductors, quantum dots, or their integration with (silicon) waveguides

http://www-g.eng.cam.ac.uk/nms/publications/pdf/nnano.2014.215.pdf

Photodetectors based on graphene, other two-dimensional materials and hybrid systems

The term photonic crystals appears because of the analogy between electron waves in crystals and the light waves in artificial periodic dielectric structures. During the recent years the investigation of one-, two-and three-dimensional periodic structures has attracted a widespread attention of the world optics community because of great potentiality of such structures in advanced applied optical fields. The interest in periodic structures has been stimulated by the fast development of semiconductor technology that now allows the fabrication of artificial structures, whose period is comparable with the wavelength of light in the visible and infrared ranges.

http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/iel5/6354/16969/00781867.pdf

Photonic crystals

In the field of silicon photonics, it has only recently become possible to build complex systems. As system power constraints and complexity increase, design margins will decrease - making understanding device noise performance and device-specific noise origins increasingly necessary. We demonstrate a waveguide-coupled germanium metal-semiconductor-metal photodetector exhibiting photoconductive gain with a responsivity of 1.76 A/W at 5 V bias and 10.6±0.96 fF capacitance. Our measurements indicate that a significant portion of the dark current is not associated with the generation of shot noise. The noise elbow at 5 V bias is measured to be approximately 150 MHz and the high-frequency detector noise reaches the Johnson noise floor.

Noise Characterization of a Waveguide-Coupled MSM Photodetector Exceeding Unity Quantum Efficiency

An optical device that includes means for thermal stabilization and control is described The optical device can be a ring resonator, or another device that requires accurate control of the phase of the optical signal In an example involving an optical resonator, a thermal stabilization system includes a temperature sensor, a control circuit, and a heater local to the resonator The temperature sensor can be a bandgap temperature sensor formed of a pair of matched p/n junctions biased in operation at different junction currents

Photonic integrated circuit incorporating a bandgap temperature sensor

First demonstration of a dual-microring 8×8 silicon-photonic switch in a compact 4 mm2 footprint shows 4.4–8.4 dB end-to-end on-chip loss, −16.75 dB first-order switching crosstalk, and 40 GHz switching bandwidth capable of high-data-rate datacenter transmissions.

Dual-Microring Resonator Based 8×8 Silicon Photonic Switch

Segmented waveguides electrically coupled to a resonator and methods for electrically coupling waveguides to a resonator are disclosed. The resonator can be a split ring resonator. The disclosed structures can be useful to fabricate waveguide devices included, for example, in sensors and optical elements.

Coupled segmented waveguide structures

Systems and methods for manipulating light with high index contrast waveguides clad with substances having that exhibit large nonlinear electro-optic constants such as χ3. Waveguides fabricated on SOI wafers and clad with electro-optic polymers are described. Embodiments of waveguides having slots and input waveguide couplers are discussed. Waveguides having closed loop structures (such as rings and ovals) as well as linear or serpentine waveguides, are described. All-optical signal processing systems and methods for implementing devices such as variable delay lines, optical logic gates (for example an AND gate), optical multiplexers, optical self-oscillators, and optical clock generators are disclosed.

Michael Hochberg

Papers

Noise Characterization of a Waveguide-Coupled MSM Photodetector Exceeding Unity Quantum Efficiency

Photonic integrated circuit incorporating a bandgap temperature sensor

Dual-Microring Resonator Based 8×8 Silicon Photonic Switch

Coupled segmented waveguide structures

Waveguides and devices for enhanced third order nonlinearities in polymer-silicon systems