Controlling the polarization of light with bilayer subwavelength metallic apertures

H. B. Chan, Z. Marcet, D. W. Carr, J. E. Bower, R. A. Cirelli, F. Klemens, W. M. Mansfield, J. F. Miner, C. S. Pai, I. I. Kravchenko

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

Abstract

In this paper, we tailor the evanescent field coupling between two metal layers with subwavelength slit arrays and created a half-wave plate that imparts a half-wave phase delay to one component of linear polarization. The polarization of linearly polarized light at 1.55 μm wavelength can be rotated by up to 90 degrees, with polarization extinction ratio exceeding 22 dB. One advantage of this device over conventional polarization rotators is that the wavelength of operation can be chosen by fabricating subwavelength slit arrays with different parameters. Moreover, future devices can be designed to be mechanically tunable by suspending one of the metal plates. Nanomechanical motion between the two metal layers changes the evanescent field coupling between them, allowing real time control of the polarization of the transmitted light.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publication2013 15th International Conference on Transparent Optical Networks, ICTON 2013
DOIs
StatePublished - 2013
Event2013 15th International Conference on Transparent Optical Networks, ICTON 2013 - Cartagena, Spain
Duration: Jun 23 2013Jun 27 2013

Publication series

NameInternational Conference on Transparent Optical Networks
ISSN (Electronic)2162-7339

Conference

Conference2013 15th International Conference on Transparent Optical Networks, ICTON 2013
Country/TerritorySpain
CityCartagena
Period06/23/1306/27/13

Keywords

  • evanescent fields
  • polarization
  • subwavelength apertures
  • surface waves
  • wave plates

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