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Title: Tunable surface plasmon devices

Abstract

A tunable extraordinary optical transmission (EOT) device wherein the tunability derives from controlled variation of the dielectric constant of a semiconducting material (semiconductor) in evanescent-field contact with a metallic array of sub-wavelength apertures. The surface plasmon resonance wavelength can be changed by changing the dielectric constant of the dielectric material. In embodiments of this invention, the dielectric material is a semiconducting material. The dielectric constant of the semiconducting material in the metal/semiconductor interfacial region is controllably adjusted by adjusting one or more of the semiconductor plasma frequency, the concentration and effective mass of free carriers, and the background high-frequency dielectric constant in the interfacial region. Thermal heating and/or voltage-gated carrier-concentration changes may be used to variably adjust the value of the semiconductor dielectric constant.

Inventors:
 [1];  [2]
  1. Rio Rancho, NM
  2. Lowell, MA
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), Albuquerque, NM, and Livermore, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
1023917
Patent Number(s):
8,009,356
Application Number:
12/137,882
Assignee:
Sandia Corporation (Albuquerque, NM)
DOE Contract Number:  
AC04-94AL85000
Resource Type:
Patent
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION

Citation Formats

Shaner, Eric A, and Wasserman, Daniel. Tunable surface plasmon devices. United States: N. p., 2011. Web.
Shaner, Eric A, & Wasserman, Daniel. Tunable surface plasmon devices. United States.
Shaner, Eric A, and Wasserman, Daniel. 2011. "Tunable surface plasmon devices". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1023917.
@article{osti_1023917,
title = {Tunable surface plasmon devices},
author = {Shaner, Eric A and Wasserman, Daniel},
abstractNote = {A tunable extraordinary optical transmission (EOT) device wherein the tunability derives from controlled variation of the dielectric constant of a semiconducting material (semiconductor) in evanescent-field contact with a metallic array of sub-wavelength apertures. The surface plasmon resonance wavelength can be changed by changing the dielectric constant of the dielectric material. In embodiments of this invention, the dielectric material is a semiconducting material. The dielectric constant of the semiconducting material in the metal/semiconductor interfacial region is controllably adjusted by adjusting one or more of the semiconductor plasma frequency, the concentration and effective mass of free carriers, and the background high-frequency dielectric constant in the interfacial region. Thermal heating and/or voltage-gated carrier-concentration changes may be used to variably adjust the value of the semiconductor dielectric constant.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1023917}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Aug 30 00:00:00 EDT 2011},
month = {Tue Aug 30 00:00:00 EDT 2011}
}

Works referenced in this record:

Electrically tunable extraordinary optical transmission gratings
journal, October 2007


All-optical switching of the transmission of electromagnetic radiation through subwavelength apertures
journal, January 2005


Midinfrared doping-tunable extraordinary transmission from sub-wavelength Gratings
journal, May 2007