Coupled surface plasmon–phonon polariton nanocavity arrays for enhanced mid-infrared absorption

Resonant optical cavities are essential components in mid-infrared applications. However, typical film-type cavities require multilayer stacks with a micron-thick spacer due to mid-infrared wavelengths, and their performance is limited by narrow frequency tunability and angular sensitivity. We propo...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Kachiraju Satya R., Nekrashevich Ivan, Ahmad Imtiaz, Farooq Hira, Chang Long, Kim Sangsik, Kim Myoung-Hwan
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: De Gruyter 2022-09-01
Series:Nanophotonics
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1515/nanoph-2022-0339
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Summary:Resonant optical cavities are essential components in mid-infrared applications. However, typical film-type cavities require multilayer stacks with a micron-thick spacer due to mid-infrared wavelengths, and their performance is limited by narrow frequency tunability and angular sensitivity. We propose and experimentally demonstrate the subwavelength-scale (≈λ0/150) resonant nanocavity arrays that enhance the absorption spectrum of the device in the mid-infrared (10–12 microns) via excitation of coupled surface plasmon–phonon polaritons. The proposed metal–insulator–polar dielectric (gold–silicon–silicon carbide) structure supports a guided mode of the coupled surface polaritons in the lateral direction while vertically confining the mid-infrared wave within the 80 nm thick dielectric spacer. In particular, the subwavelength-scale (≈λ0/10) gratings are imposed to form Fabry–Pérot cavity arrays displaying angle-insensitive and frequency-tunable absorption of up to 80% of the optical power in the mid-infrared. Our work should benefit diverse mid-infrared applications and novel designs of polariton-based photonic devices.
ISSN:2192-8614