Enhanced detection of broadband incoherent light with nanoridge plasmonics

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Emerging photonic integrated circuit technologies require integrative functionality at ultra-high speed and dimensional compatibility with ultra-small silicon electronics. Metal photonics, or plasmonics, offers a promise of addressing the challenges with novel photonic components and architectures for on-chip information processing or sensing applications. Short communication range and strong light-matter interaction for the on-chip plasmonics allow us to extend beyond a conventional approach of integrating coherent and narrowband light source. Such hybrid electronic and photonic interconnection desires an on-chip photodetector that is highly responsive to broadband incoherent light along with simple design for nanoscale integration. Here we show an ultracompact broadband photodetection with an enhanced photoresponsivity based on a plasmonic nanoridge geometry. The nanoridge photodetector confines a wide spectrum of electromagnetic energy by an excitation of multiple plasmon resonances in a single nanostructure, thus enabling detection of weak and broadband light. With simple nanoscale design and material compatibility for the integration, the nanoridge photodetector opens up a new possibility of highly sensitive on-chip photodetection for future integrated circuits.