Open AccessLarge longitudinal electric fields (E_z) in silicon nanowire waveguides
Author(s) -
Jeffrey B. Driscoll,
Xiaoping Li,
Saam Yasseri,
I-Wei Hsieh,
Jerry I. Dadap,
Richard M. Osgood
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - Uncategorized
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.17.002797
Subject(s) - waveguide , optics , electric field , physics , transverse plane , diffraction , amplitude , silicon , field (mathematics) , optoelectronics , quantum mechanics , mathematics , structural engineering , pure mathematics , engineering
We demonstrate the presence of strong longitudinal electric fields (E(z)) in silicon nanowire waveguides through numerical computation. These waveguide fields can be engineered through choice of waveguide geometry to exhibit amplitudes as high as 97% that of the dominant transverse field component. We show even larger longitudinal fields created in free space by a terminated waveguide can become the dominant electric field component, and demonstrate E(z) has a large effect on waveguide nonlinearity. We discuss the possibility of controlling the strength and symmetry of E(z) using a dual waveguide design, and show that the resulting longitudinal field is sharply peaked beyond the diffraction limit.