Corrugated metal surface with pillars for terahertz surface plasmon polariton waveguide components

Abstract
In the terahertz regime, due to perfect conductivity of most metals, it is hard to realize a strong confinement of Surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) although a propagation loss could be sufficiently low. We experimentally demonstrated a structure with periodic pillars arranged on a thin metal surface that supports bound modes of spoof SPPs at terahertz (THz) frequencies. By using scanning near-field THz microscopy, the electric field distribution above the metal surface within a distance of 130 μm was mapped. The results proved that this structure could guide spoof SPPs propagating along subwavelength waveguides, and at the same time reduce field expansion into free space. Further, for the development of integrated optical circuits, several components including straight waveguide, S-bend, Y-splitter and directional couplers were designed and characterized by the same method. We believe that the waveguide components proposed here will pave a new way for the development of flexible, wideband and compact photonic circuits operating at THz frequencies.

Citation
Yuehong X, Yanfeng L, Chunxiu T, Jiaguang H, Quan X, et al. (2018) Corrugated metal surface with pillars for terahertz surface plasmon polariton waveguide components. 2017 International Conference on Optical Instruments and Technology: IRMMW-THz Technologies and Applications. Available: http://dx.doi.org/10.1117/12.2295257.

Publisher
SPIE-Intl Soc Optical Eng

Journal
2017 International Conference on Optical Instruments and Technology: IRMMW-THz Technologies and Applications

Conference/Event Name
2017 International Conference on Optical Instruments and Technology: IRMMW-THz Technologies and Their Applications

DOI
10.1117/12.2295257

Additional Links
https://www.spiedigitallibrary.org/conference-proceedings-of-spie/10623/2295257/Corrugated-metal-surface-with-pillars-for-terahertz-surface-plasmon-polariton/10.1117/12.2295257.full

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