Hybrid Si-VO_2-Au optical modulator based on near-field plasmonic coupling

We present a computational design for an integrated electro-optic modulator based on near-field plasmonic coupling between gold nanodisks and a thin film of vanadium dioxide on a silicon substrate. Active modulation is achieved by applying a time-varying electric field to initiate large changes in the refractive index of vanadium dioxide. Significant decrease in device footprint (200 nm x 560 nm) and increase in extinction ratio per unit length (9 dB/µm) compared to state-of-the-art photonic and plasmonic modulators are predicted.