Visible to Near-infrared Chip-integrated Tunable Optical Modulators Based on Niobium Plasmonic Nano-antenna and Nano-circuit Metasurface Arrays

Delfanazari, K. and Muskens, O. L. (2022) Visible to Near-infrared Chip-integrated Tunable Optical Modulators Based on Niobium Plasmonic Nano-antenna and Nano-circuit Metasurface Arrays. In: PhotonIcs and Electromagnetics Research Symposium (PIERS 2022), Hangzhou, China, 25-28 Apr 2022, pp. 924-929. ISBN 9781665460231 (doi: 10.1109/PIERS55526.2022.9792866)

Abstract

We report on the numerical and experimental demonstration of novel chip-integrated tunable optical modulators operating at visible to near-infrared telecommunication bands. Our integrated photonic devices are based on plasmonic nano-antenna and nano-circuit metasurface arrays fabricated on the facet of niobium (Nb) thin metallic films. We engineer the photoresponse of our Nb nano-antenna based modulator devices and observe optical modulation properties with a modulation depth MD≅60% at λ=716 nm, and a maximum extinction A(λ)=1−R(λ)≅95% at λ=650 nm, at room temperature. Moreover, with a similar photoresponse engineering technique, we observe a maximum extinction A(λ)≅88% at λ=1380 nm in our near-infrared nano-circuit array-based modulators. Our optical modulators are polarizationsensitive, and their photoresponse can be controlled by altering the geometrical parameters of their subwavelength elements and unit cells. Our ultracompact Nb modulators, with their tunable and controllable photoresponse, empower new types of optical links and photonic interconnects interfacing quantum circuits and fibre optic telecommunication systems for applications in quantum technologies.

• Item Type: Conference Proceedings
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Delfanazari, Dr Kaveh
• Authors: Delfanazari, K., and Muskens, O. L.
• College/School: College of Science and Engineering > School of Engineering > Electronics and Nanoscale Engineering
• ISSN: 1559-9450
• ISBN: 9781665460231
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2022 IEEE
• First Published: First published in 2022 Photonics & Electromagnetics Research Symposium (PIERS)
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the publisher copyright policy