Highly efficent on-chip direct electronic-plasmonic transducers
US10254479B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 28, 2017 |
| Grant date | Apr 9, 2019 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 25, 2037 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG02B2006/12138
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
In one embodiment, an on-chip electronic-plasmonic transducer is provided that is capable of both direct plasmon generation and detection at high efficiencies. The electronic-plasmonic transducer includes a metal-insulator-metal junction formed from a first wire constructed of a first metal, a tunneling barrier material in contact with the first wire, and a second wire made from a second metal in contact with the tunneling barrier material. A plasmonic waveguide is formed as a contiguous part of the second wire, such that the waveguide is directly coupled to the MIM junction. The electronic-plasmonic transducer can both directly generate and detect plasmons, such that it may be configured on-chip as either a plasmon source or a plasmon detector. The electronic-plasmonic transducer may be used to form an on-chip plasmon-based frequency multiplier or plasmon amplifier, among other usages.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.