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High-contrast modulation of light with light by control of surface plasmon polariton wave coupling

A. V. Krasavin·A. V. Zayats·K. F. MacDonald·N. I. Zheludev
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Abstract

We have demonstrated a new mechanism for modulating light with light by controlling the efficiency with which light is coupled into a plasmon polariton wave. An optical fluence of 15 mJ/cm^2 in the control channel is sufficient to achieve nearly a 10-fold intensity modulation of the signal beam reflected from a Glass/MgF_2/Ga structure. The mechanism depends on a nanoscale light-induced structural transformation in the gallium layer and has transient switching times of the order of a few tens of nanoseconds. It offers high modulation contrast for signals in the visible and near infrared spectral ranges.

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A. V. Krasavin, A. V. Zayats, K. F. MacDonald, N. I. Zheludev. 2004-05-19. High-contrast modulation of light with light by control of surface plasmon polariton wave coupling. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1808240

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