Enhanced light emission from gap plasmons in nano-strip MIM tunnel junctions
Abstract
Electrical excitation of light using inelastic electron tunneling is a promising approach for the realization of ultra-compact on-chip optical sources with high modulation bandwidth. However, the practical implementation of these nanoscale light sources presents a challenge due to the low electron-to-photon transduction efficiencies. Here, we investigate designs for the enhancement of light generation and out-coupling in a periodic Ag-SiO2-Ag tunnel junction due to inelastic electron tunneling. The structure presents a unique advantage of a simple fabrication procedure as compared to the other reported structures. We achieve a resonant enhancement in the local density of optical states up to three orders of magnitude over vacuum for the periodic metal-insulator-metal tunnel junction. By efficiently coupling the gap plasmon mode and the lattice resonance, an enhanced radiative efficiency of ∼0.53 was observed, 30% higher as compared to the uncoupled structure.
- Publication:
-
Journal of Optics
- Pub Date:
- September 2020
- DOI:
- 10.1088/2040-8986/ababe7
- arXiv:
- arXiv:2002.10094
- Bibcode:
- 2020JOpt...22i5006K
- Keywords:
-
- gap plasmon;
- inelastic electron tunneling;
- lattice resonance;
- Physics - Optics
- E-Print:
- This is the version of the article before peer review or editing, as submitted by an author to IoP Journal of Optics. IOP Publishing Ltd is not responsible for any errors or omissions in this version of the manuscript or any version derived from it. The Version of Record is available online at https://doi.org/10.1088/2040-8986/ababe7