title: Direct Conversion of Free Space Millimeter Waves to Optical Domain by Plasmonic Modulator Antenna.
abstract: A scheme for the direct conversion of millimeter and THz waves to optical signals is introduced. The compact device consists of a plasmonic phase modulator that is seamlessly cointegrated with an antenna. Neither high-speed electronics nor electronic amplification is required to drive the modulator. A built-in enhancement of the electric field by a factor of 35,000 enables the direct conversion of millimeter-wave signals to the optical domain. This high enhancement is obtained via a resonant antenna that is directly coupled to an optical field by means of a plasmonic modulator. The suggested concept provides a simple and cost-efficient alternative solution to conventional schemes where millimeter-wave signals are first converted to the electrical domain before being up-converted to the optical domain.
authors.affiliation: ETH Zurich , Institute of Electromagnetic Fields (IEF), 8092 Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Yannick
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Salamin
authors.affiliation: ETH Zurich , Institute of Electromagnetic Fields (IEF), 8092 Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Heni
authors.affiliation: ETH Zurich , Institute of Electromagnetic Fields (IEF), 8092 Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Haffner
authors.affiliation: ETH Zurich , Institute of Electromagnetic Fields (IEF), 8092 Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Yuriy
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fedoryshyn
authors.affiliation: ETH Zurich , Institute of Electromagnetic Fields (IEF), 8092 Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hoessbacher
authors.affiliation: ETH Zurich , Institute of Electromagnetic Fields (IEF), 8092 Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Romain
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bonjour
authors.affiliation: ETH Zurich , Institute of Electromagnetic Fields (IEF), 8092 Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zahner
authors.affiliation: ETH Zurich , Institute of Electromagnetic Fields (IEF), 8092 Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hillerkuss
authors.affiliation: ETH Zurich , Institute of Electromagnetic Fields (IEF), 8092 Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Pascal
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Leuchtmann
authors.affiliation: University of Washington , Department of Chemistry, Seattle, Washington 98195-1700, United States.
authors.forename: Delwin L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Elder
authors.affiliation: University of Washington , Department of Chemistry, Seattle, Washington 98195-1700, United States.
authors.forename: Larry R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Dalton
authors.affiliation: ETH Zurich , Institute of Electromagnetic Fields (IEF), 8092 Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hafner
authors.affiliation: ETH Zurich , Institute of Electromagnetic Fields (IEF), 8092 Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Juerg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Leuthold
keywords: Plasmonics; THz sensor; electro-optic modulator; microwave photonics