Characterisation of a micrometer-scale active plasmonic element by means of complementary computational and experimental methods

In this article, we investigate an active plasmonic element which will act as the key building block for future photonic devices. This element operates by modulating optical constants in a localised fashion, thereby providing an external control over the strength of the electromagnetic near field above the element as well as its far-field response. A dual experimental approach is employed in tandem with computational methods to characterise the response of this system. First, an enhanced surface plasmon resonance experiment in a classical Kretschmann configuration is used to measure the changes in the reflectivity induced by an alternating electric current. A lock-in amplifier is used to extract the dynamic changes in the far-field reflectivity resulting from Joule heating. A clear modulation of the materials’ optical constants can be inferred from the changed reflectivity, which is highly sensitive and dependent on the input current. The changed electrical permittivity of the active element is due to Joule heating. Second, the resulting expansion of the metallic element is measured using scanning Joule expansion microscopy. The localised temperature distribution, and hence information about the localisation of the modulation of the optical constants of the system, can be extracted using this technique. Both optical and thermal data are used to inform detailed finite element method simulations for verification and to predict system responses allowing for enhanced design choices to maximise modulation depth and localisation.