Open AccessNanosecond thermo-optical dynamics of polymer loaded plasmonic waveguides
Author(s) -
Jean Claude Weeber,
T. Bernardin,
Michael Grøndahl Nielsen,
Karim Hassan,
Serkan Kaya,
Julien Fatome,
Christophe Finot,
Alain Dereux,
Nikos Pleros
Publication year - 2013
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.21.027291
Subject(s) - nanosecond , materials science , plasmon , thermal diffusivity , surface plasmon , optoelectronics , absorption (acoustics) , optics , excited state , resonator , laser , atomic physics , composite material , physics , quantum mechanics
The thermo-optical dynamics of polymer loaded surface plasmon waveguide (PLSPPW) based devices photo-thermally excited in the nanosecond regime is investigated. We demonstrate thermo-absorption of PLSPPW modes mediated by the temperature-dependent ohmic losses of the metal and the thermally controlled field distribution of the plasmon mode within the metal. For a PLSPPW excited by sub-nanosecond long pulses, we find that the thermo-absorption process leads to modulation depths up to 50% and features an activation time around 2 ns whereas the relaxation time is around 800 ns, four-fold smaller than the cooling time of the metal film itself. Next, we observe the photo-thermal activation of PLSPPW racetrack shaped resonators at a time scale of 300 ns followed however by a long cooling time (18 μs) attributed to the poor heat diffusivity of the polymer. We conclude that nanosecond excitation combined to high thermal diffusivity materials opens the way to high speed thermo-optical plasmonic devices.