Dielectric-loaded surface plasmon-polariton waveguides at telecommunication wavelengths: Excitation and characterization

The excitation and propagation of strongly confined surface plasmon-polariton (SPP) waveguide modes, supported by 500-nm-wide and 550-nm-high dielectric ridges fabricated on smooth gold films, are investigated at telecommunication wavelengths using a scanning near-field optical microscope. Different tapering structures for coupling of SPPs, excited at bare gold surfaces, into dielectric-loaded SPP waveguide (DLSPPW) modes are considered. The DLSPPW mode confinement and propagation loss are characterized. The DLSPPW mode propagation along an S bend having the smallest curvature radius of 2.48 mu m is shown, demonstrating the potential of DLSPPW technology for the realization of high-density photonic integrated circuits. (c) 2008 American Institute of Physics.