Optical properties of metal-multi-insulator-metal plasmonic waveguides.
We theoretically study the plasmonic modes in metal-multi-insulator-metal (MMIM) waveguides. Two types of symmetric MMIM structures consisting of three insulators are investigated thoroughly. The effective refractive index, energy confinement, propagation length, and figure of merit are given in terms of geometric parameters. Due to the step index modulation, these properties of MMIM structures differ from the metal-insulator-metal (MIM) structure. Compared with the corresponding MIM structures, MMIM structures can possess either better energy confinement or larger propagation length, which depends on the geometric parameters and the index distribution. Propagation length of up to 10(3) µm and a figure of merit of up to 10(4) are observed for MMIM structure with core thickness of several hundred nanometers.
School of Physics and Astronomy, SUPA, University of Glasgow, UK. m.lee.2@research.gla.ac.uk
Xiang-Tian
XT
Kong
Wei-Guo
WG
Yan
Zu-Bin
ZB
Li
Jian-Guo
JG
Tian
D003198:Computer Simulation; D017076:Computer-Aided Design; D004553:Electric Conductivity; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D008027:Light; D008670:Metals / Q000737:chemistry*; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D012031:Refractometry / Q000295:instrumentation*; D012542:Scattering, Radiation; D020349:Surface Plasmon Resonance / Q000295:instrumentation*
D008670:Metals