Passive photonic elements based on dielectric-loaded surface plasmon polariton waveguides

The authors present full three-dimensional numerical modeling of passive photonic elements based on dielectric-loaded surface plasmon polariton waveguides (DLSPPWs). They demonstrate that at telecom wavelengths a highly confined SPP mode can be guided in a single mode DLSPPW of subwavelength cross section and estimate the achievable density of photonic integration. The size of bending and splitting photonic elements based on DLSPPW can be as small as a few micrometers with pure bend loss less than 10% (0.4dB) and the transmission efficiency exceeding 70% (total loss of about 1.3dB). Such DLSPPW elements are important for implementation of photonic integrated circuits, guiding optical and electric signals in the same circuitry, and lab-on-a-chip applications.