Metallic nanostructures now play an important role in many applications. In particular, for the emerging fields of plasmonics and nanophotonics, the ability to engineer metals on nanometric scales allows the development of new devices and the study of exciting physics. This review focuses on top-down nanofabrication techniques for engineering metallic nanostructures, along with computational and experimental characterization techniques. A variety of current and emerging applications are also covered.

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Engineering metallic nanostructures for plasmonics and nanophotonics

In the wake of intense research on metamaterials the two-dimensional analogue, known as metasurfaces, has attracted progressively increasing attention in recent years due to the ease of fabrication and smaller insertion losses, while enabling an unprecedented control over spatial distributions of transmitted and reflected optical fields. Metasurfaces represent optically thin planar arrays of resonant subwavelength elements that can be arranged in a strictly or quasi periodic fashion, or even in an aperiodic manner, depending on targeted optical wavefronts to be molded with their help. This paper reviews a broad subclass of metasurfaces, viz. gradient metasurfaces, which are devised to exhibit spatially varying optical responses resulting in spatially varying amplitudes, phases and polarizations of scattered fields. Starting with introducing the concept of gradient metasurfaces, we present classification of different metasurfaces from the viewpoint of their responses, differentiating electrical-dipole, geometric, reflective and Huygens' metasurfaces. The fundamental building blocks essential for the realization of metasurfaces are then discussed in order to elucidate the underlying physics of various physical realizations of both plasmonic and purely dielectric metasurfaces. We then overview the main applications of gradient metasurfaces, including waveplates, flat lenses, spiral phase plates, broadband absorbers, color printing, holograms, polarimeters and surface wave couplers. The review is terminated with a short section on recently developed nonlinear metasurfaces, followed by the outlook presenting our view on possible future developments and perspectives for future applications.

Gradient metasurfaces: a review of fundamentals and applications.

An alternative receiver structure is presented for discrete multitone-based systems. The usual structure consisting of a (real) time-domain equalizer in combination with a (complex) 1-tap frequency-domain equalizer (FEQ) per tone, is modified into a structure with a (complex) multitap FEQ per tone. By solving a minimum mean-square-error problem, the signal-to-noise ratio is maximized for each individual tone. The result is a larger bit rate while complexity during data transmission is kept at the same level. Moreover, the per tone equalization is shown to have a reduced sensitivity to the synchronization delay.

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Per tone equalization for DMT-based systems

http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/iel5/5/31314/01456639.pdf

Electromagnetic theory of gratings

We investigate the use of nanopatterned metallic films as transparent conductive electrodes in optoelectronic devices. We find that the physics of nanopatterned electrodes, which are often optically thin metallic films, differs from that of optically thick metallic films. We analyze the optical properties when performing a geometrical transformation that maintains the electrical properties. For one-dimensional patterns of metallic wires, the analysis favors tall and narrow wires. Our design principles remain valid for oblique incidence and readily carry over to two-dimensional patterns.

http://web.stanford.edu/group/fan/publication/Catrysse_NanoLett_10_2944_2010.pdf

Nanopatterned Metallic Films for Use As Transparent Conductive Electrodes in Optoelectronic Devices

We demonstrate a new mechanism for polarization switching in slightly anisotropic vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSEL's) based on index guiding due to the effect of thermal lensing. This polarization switching takes place when the laser operates on the short-wavelength side of the gain maximum. The two orthogonal linear polarizations correspond to slightly different wavelengths and switching occurs from shorter toward longer laser wavelength as the drive current increases. Polarization modulation has been observed up to 50 MHz with a polarization contrast ratio of 20:1.

Polarization switching in VCSEL's due to thermal lensing

We have analyzed the effect of the photon energy and temperature dependence of both the gain and the total losses inside the cavity to understand the polarization behavior of vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers. The assumption that the losses are dominated by free-carrier absorption in the p-doped mirror is made. Developing a new theoretical approach, we are able to predict different polarization switching regimes in which switching occurs from the high- to the low-frequency mode, from the low- to the high-frequency mode, or both consecutively. All these predictions have been experimentally verified by our measurements on GaAs/AlGaAs proton-implanted vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers.

Effect of photon-energy-dependent loss and gain mechanisms on polarization switching in vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers

In a digital transmission system, synchronization is an essential receiver function. Accurate timing information must be known to the demodulator in order to produce reliable estimates of the transmitted data sequence. In this article, synchronization for discrete multitone transmission (DMT) is examined. The effect of imperfect timing on the receiver performance is investigated. An overview of timing estimation and correction circuits based on data-aided and non-data-aided algorithms derived from maximum-likelihood estimation theory is given.

Synchronization with DMT modulation

Optimized design of the optical filters inside integrated color pixels (ICPs) for complementary metal-oxide semiconductor image sensors requires analytical models. ICP optical filters consist of subwavelength patterned metal layers. We show that a one-mode model, in which subwavelength gaps in the metal layer are described in terms of single-mode waveguides, suffices to predict the salient features of measured ICP wavelength selectivity. The Airy-like transmittance formula, derived for transverse-electric polarization, predicts an angle-independent cutoff wavelength, which is in good agreement with predictions made with a two-dimensional finite-difference time-domain method.

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One-mode model for patterned metal layers inside integrated color pixels

Faced with fierce competition from cable operators, telephone companies are now aggressively investing in digital subscriber line technology with the objective of providing an economic broadband access alternative. However, high-bit-rate transmissions over the metallic access network is far from trivial. The subscriber loop predominantly consists of interconnection of twisted pair copper sections. This causes severe attenuation of the high-frequency components of the transmitted signal. Equalization refers to the signal processing in the transceiver to combat the effects of the dispersive channel on the transmitted signal. This article overviews equalization methods for discrete multitone modulation (DMT). The interference structure created by a non-ideally equalized channel is analyzed. Time modulation as well as frequency domain equalization methods are addressed.

Michael Peeters

Papers

Polarization switching in VCSEL's due to thermal lensing

Effect of photon-energy-dependent loss and gain mechanisms on polarization switching in vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers

Synchronization with DMT modulation

One-mode model for patterned metal layers inside integrated color pixels

Equalization for DMT based broadband modems