Numerical demonstration of all-optical switching in dielectric-loaded surface plasmon polaritonic crystals with a defect mode

We have numerically demonstrated an all-optical switching device based on dielectric-loaded surface plasmon polaritonic crystals with one defect mode. Under the excitation of pump beams with different intensities, the signal surface plasmon polaritons whose wavelength is in resonance with the defect mode can be switched on and off by means of modification of the effective refractive index and increasing the radiative loss in the nonlinear defect layer. The switching time is kept at picosecond level and the switching efficiency is kept at over 85% by the use of a pump pulse with peak intensity of 37 MW cm(-2) and time duration of 200 fs.