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Optics Express

Analytical model for optical bistability in nonlinear metal nano-antennae involving Kerr materials

Fei Zhou, Ye Liu, Zhi-Yuan Li, Younan Xia A

Published Jun 7, 2010• 94 citations

Abstract

Optical bistability at nanoscale is a promising way to realize optical switching, a key component of integrated nanophotonic devices. In this work we present an analytical model for optical bistability in a metal nano-antenna involving Kerr nonlinear medium based on detailed analysis of the correlation between the incident and extinction light intensity under surface plasmon resonance (SPR). The model allows one to construct a clear picture on how the threshold, contrast, and other characteristics of optical bistability are influenced by the nonlinear coefficient, incident light intensity, local field enhancement factor, SPR peak width, and other physical parameters of the nano-antenna. It shows that the key towards low threshold power and high contrast optical bistability in the nanosystem is to reduce the SPR peak width. This can be achieved by reducing the absorption of metal materials or introducing gain media into nanosystems.

DOI: 10.1364/oe.18.013337

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Optical bistability at nanoscale is a promising way to realize optical switching, a key component of integrated nanophotonic devices. In this work we present an analytical model for optical bistability in a metal nano-antenna involving Kerr nonlinear medium based on detailed analysis of the correlation between the incident and extinction light intensity under surface plasmon resonance (SPR). The model allows one to construct a clear picture on how the threshold, contrast, and other characteristics of optical bistability are influenced by the nonlinear coefficient, incident light intensity, local field enhancement factor, SPR peak width, and other physical parameters of the nano-antenna. It shows that the key towards low threshold power and high contrast optical bistability in the nanosystem is to reduce the SPR peak width. This can be achieved by reducing the absorption of metal materials or introducing gain media into nanosystems.

Optical bistability based on surface plasmon polaritons in the Kretschmann configuration involving a Kerr nonlinear medium is described by analytical solutions. The conditions of forming the optical bistability with different parameters are explored. The resonant angle of surface plasmon polaritons varying with the incident light intensity also generates the phenomenon of bistability. The system could form optical bistability with the special thickness of the metal film and incident angle. This kind of system has potential application in all-optical networks.

We have investigated numerically an optical bistability effect based on an analog of electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) in a nanoscale plasmonic waveguide-coupled resonator system. The system consists of a metal-insulator-metal waveguide side-coupled with a slot cavity and a nanodisk cavity containing Kerr nonlinear material. By finite-difference time-domain simulations, the EIT-like spectral peak has a redshift with an increase of the dielectric constant of the nanodisk cavity. More importantly, we have achieved an optical bistability with threshold intensity about three times lower than that of recent literature [Appl. Opt.50, 5287 (2011)]. The results show that our plasmonic structure can find more excellent application in highly integrated optical circuits, especially all-optical switching.

In this paper, optical bistability effect in an ultracompact plasmonic racetrack resonator with nonlinear optical Kerr medium is investigated both analytically and numerically. The properties of optical bistability and pump threshold are studied at 1.55 µm with various detuning parameters by an analytical model. The transmission switch from the upper branch to the lower branch with a pulse is also demonstrated by a finite-difference time-domain method. An extinction ratio of 97.8% and a switching time of 0.38 ps can be achieved with proper detuning parameter. Such a plasmonic resonator design provides a promising realization for highly effective optical modulators and switch.

We have theoretically analysed the optical bistability due to the excitation of surface plasmon polaritons (SP's) in samples, prism/metal film/nonlinear optic medium and prism/gap material/metal film/non-linear optic medium, where the non-linear optic medium has an intensity-dependent refractive index. We considered two cases, i.e. non-linearity along the propagation direction of SP's and along the normal to the interface. In the former case, the critical input power for the optical bistability was too high to allow experimental observation, while it was reasonably low for the latter case.

Colloidally synthesized nanocubes strongly coupled to conducting films hold great promise for enhancing different nonlinear optical processes. They exhibit a robust and sensitive scattering response that can be easily controlled by their geometrical and material parameters. Strong local field enhancement is generated at the gap regions between the nanocubes and the metallic film. We show that strong optical bistability and all-optical switching behavior can be obtained by loading these nanogaps with Kerr nonlinear materials. Relatively low input intensities are required to obtain these nonlinear effects. The proposed design can lead to efficient, low-power, and ultrafast all-optical memories and scattering nanoswitches.