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All-Optical Plasmonic Switches Based on Coupled Nano-disk Cavity Structures Containing Nonlinear Material

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Abstract

All-optical plasmonic switches based on a novel coupled nano-disk cavity configuration containing nonlinear material are proposed and numerically investigated. The finite difference time domain simulation results reveal that the single-disk plasmonic structure can operate as an “on–off” switch with the presence/absence of pumping light. We also demonstrate that the proposed T-shaped plasmonic structure with two disk cavities can switch signal light from one port to another under an optical pumping light, functioning as a bidirectional switch. The proposed nano-disk cavity plasmonic switches have many advantages such as compact size, requirement of low pumping light intensity, and ultra-fast switching time at a femto-second scale, which are promising for future integrated plasmonic devices for applications such as communications, signal processing, and sensing.

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Acknowledgments

This work is supported by the grant (grant number M58040017) from Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore. Support from the CNRS International-NTU-Thales Research Alliance (CINTRA) Laboratory, UMI 3288, Singapore 637553, is also acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Microelectronics, School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Nanyang, 639798, Singapore

    Jin Tao & Qi Jie Wang

  2. Division of Physics and Applied Physics, School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Nanyang, 639798, Singapore

    Qi Jie Wang

  3. Key laboratory of Photonic Information Technology of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510006, China

    Xu Guang Huang

Authors
  1. Jin Tao
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  2. Qi Jie Wang
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  3. Xu Guang Huang
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Correspondence to Qi Jie Wang.

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Tao, J., Wang, Q.J. & Huang, X.G. All-Optical Plasmonic Switches Based on Coupled Nano-disk Cavity Structures Containing Nonlinear Material. Plasmonics 6, 753–759 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11468-011-9260-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11468-011-9260-1

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