Thermo-electric detection of waveguided surface plasmon propagation

Jean Claude Weeber (1, 2) , Karim Hassan (1) , Alexandre Bouhelier (1) , Gérard Colas Des Francs (1) , Juan Arocas (1) , Laurent Markey (1) , Alain Dereux (1)

1 ICB - Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire Carnot de Bourgogne
2 LPUB - Laboratoire de Physique de l'Université de Bourgogne

The thermo-electric detection of a waveguided surface plasmon traveling along one electrode of an in-plane integrated thermocouple is demonstrated. By using a particular design of the thermocouple, the thermo-electric signal due to the losses of the plasmon mode can be separated from the non-resonant heating of the waveguide. The thermo-electric signal associated with the plasmon propagation is proportional to the power coupled into the waveguided mode and exhibits a maximum at a distance from the excitation site depending on both the heat transfer coefficient of the system and the plasmon mode damping distance.

Domaines: Micro et nanotechnologies/Microélectronique

Jean Claude Weeber, Karim Hassan, Alexandre Bouhelier, Gérard Colas Des Francs, Juan Arocas, et al.. Thermo-electric detection of waveguided surface plasmon propagation. Applied Physics Letters, 2011, 99, pp.031113. ⟨10.1063/1.3613964⟩. ⟨hal-00638255⟩