Application of zero-index metamaterials for surface plasmon guiding

Although zero-index metamaterials (ZIMs) have been extensively studied in electromagnetics, their applications in plasmonics have not been investigated so far. In this Letter, we propose strategies for efficient manipulation of surface plasmon polariton (SPP) flow using anisotropic ZIMs. Through rigorous theoretical analysis backed up by full-wave simulations, we suggest two applications of anisotropic ZIMs in plasmonics, namely, adjusting the phase delay of SPPs and guiding SPPs about a rounded metal corner. The proposed applications of ZIMs may prove useful for plasmonic interconnects in integrated ultra-high speed circuitry. (C)2013 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4774320]