• Advanced Photonics
  • Vol. 5, Issue 4, 046003 (2023)
Liu Yang1、†, Zhanke Zhou1, Hao Wu1, Hongliang Dang1, Yuxin Yang1, Jiaxin Gao1, Xin Guo1、2, Pan Wang1、2, and Limin Tong1、2、3、*
Author Affiliations
  • 1Zhejiang University, College of Optical Science and Engineering, New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, Interdisciplinary Center for Quantum Information, Hangzhou, China
  • 2Jiaxing Institute of Zhejiang University, Intelligent Optics and Photonics Research Center, Jiaxing, China
  • 3Shanxi University, Collaborative Innovation Center of Extreme Optics, Taiyuan, China
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    DOI: 10.1117/1.AP.5.4.046003 Cite this Article Set citation alerts
    Liu Yang, Zhanke Zhou, Hao Wu, Hongliang Dang, Yuxin Yang, Jiaxin Gao, Xin Guo, Pan Wang, Limin Tong. Generating a sub-nanometer-confined optical field in a nanoslit waveguiding mode[J]. Advanced Photonics, 2023, 5(4): 046003 Copy Citation Text show less

    Abstract

    We propose to generate a sub-nanometer-confined optical field in a nanoslit waveguiding mode in a coupled nanowire pair (CNP). We show that, when a conventional waveguide mode with a proper polarization is evanescently coupled into a properly designed CNP with a central nanoslit, it can be efficiently channeled into a high-purity nanoslit mode within a waveguiding length <10 μm. The CNP can be either freestanding or on-chip by using a tapered fiber or planar waveguide for input-coupling, with a coupling efficiency up to 95%. Within the slit region, the output diffraction-limited nanoslit mode offers an extremely confined optical field (∼0.3 nm × 3.3 nm) with a peak-to-background ratio higher than 25 dB and can be operated within a 200-nm bandwidth. The group velocity dispersion of the nanoslit mode for ultrafast pulsed operation is also briefly investigated. Compared with the previous lasing configuration, the waveguiding scheme demonstrated here is not only simple and straightforward in structural design but is also much flexible and versatile in operation. Therefore, the waveguiding scheme we show here may offer an efficient and flexible platform for exploring light–matter interactions beyond the nanometer scale, and developing optical technologies ranging from superresolution nanoscopy and atom/molecule manipulation to ultra-sensitivity detection.
    Supplementary Materials
    Liu Yang, Zhanke Zhou, Hao Wu, Hongliang Dang, Yuxin Yang, Jiaxin Gao, Xin Guo, Pan Wang, Limin Tong. Generating a sub-nanometer-confined optical field in a nanoslit waveguiding mode[J]. Advanced Photonics, 2023, 5(4): 046003
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