Design of a hybrid silicon-plasmonic co-propagating coupler operating close to coherent perfect absorption

摘要

By hybrid integration of plasmonic and dielectric waveguide concepts, it is shown that nearly perfect coherent absorption can be achieved in a co-propagating coupler geometry. First, the operating principle of the proposed device is detailed in the context of a more general 2×2 lossy coupler formalism. Then, it is shown how to tune the device in a wide region of possible working points, its broadband operation, and the tolerance to fabrication uncertainties. Finally, a complete picture of the electromagnetic modes inside the hybrid structure is analyzed, shining light onto the potentials which the proposed device holds in view of classical and quantum signal processing, nonlinear optics, polarization control, and sensing.