Tuning the focal point of a plasmonic lens by nematic liquid crystal

Abstract

A theoretical and numerical investigation of tunable plasmonic nano-optic lens on the basis of liquid crystal are proposed as a new method of active modulating the output beam. The focal length can be controlled easily by exposing plasmonic nano-optic lens to constant external electric field. The physical principle of this phenomenon is evaluated from the phase of Fabry-Perot (F-P) resonance in slits and electro-optical effect of liquid crystal. Our numerical simulations reveal that large tuning range of the focal length up to 725 nm can be achieved. The results in this article provide a potential way to realize tunable plasmonic lens, which can be applied as an efficient element in ultrahigh nano-scale integrated photonic circuits for miniaturization and tuning purposes.

Keywords

• surface plasmons
• anisotropic media
• tunable nano-optic lens