New HPP Nanoscale Waveguides For Futuristic On-Chip Optical Communication

Scientists at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have demonstrated a nanoscale waveguide called the hybrid plasmon polariton (HPP) nanoscale waveguide. This is the first time that a nanoscale waveguide has been successfully fabricated. The researchers led by Dr. Xiang Zhang are working with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). This new particle (hybrid plasmon polaritron) can help in realizing optical computing and integrated photonic circuits. The experiments were conducted in infrared and visible light spectrum with the help of a metal-insulator-semiconductor device characterized by low loss and broadband operation. The innovative design of this waveguide guarantees that it can be used for a wide range of applications like intra-chip optical communication, signal modulation, nanoscale lasers and bio-medical sensing.

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Today, as we are moving towards cloud computing, the data transfer over the computer networks as well as the operations within the machines demand for greater bandwidth and speed. However, there are certain limitations over the rate at which this information can be transferred with the help of cables or semiconductor devices. To further increase the scope, scientists suggested that optical communication should be used. However, for optical communications, the three main components are the light source, waveguide and the receiver. Now, the optical waveguides are pretty large in size and face the physical barrier that they can’t be directly mounted on chips. But with the advent of these HPP waveguides it seems very much feasible.

The research work was published in the science journal Nature Communications in the form of a paper titled “Experimental Demonstration of Low-Loss Optical Waveguiding at Deep Sub-wavelength Scales”. Dr. Zhang was the lead author with co authors Volker Sorger, Rupert Oulton, Ziliang Ye, Yuan Wang, Xiaobo Yin and Guy Bartal. The paper contains detailed analysis of the quasi particle HPP that was created by them. The working of HPP particles can be directed using a nanoscale waveguide developed by this team that can guide light waves along a metal- semiconductor nanostructure device over long distances. These streams act as optical communication signals. It is essential to insert a low loss layer of some dielectric between the metal and semiconductor for correct operation.

Till now, the physical dimensions of photonic devices were limited due to the interference between the closely travelling light waves. But the researchers have now solved the problem of size, modes as well as the losses. So this new design is completely compatible with the conventional CMOS as well as semiconductor/transistor technology. It can also be integrated with the Silicon on insulator (SOI) interface that is generally used for photonic circuits. All these features will facilitate this technology to be cheap, superfast, efficient and easy to incorporate in the chips. The DOI scholars believe that the prototypes for the waveguides could be fabricated within 2 years. They claim that these low cost and easy to manufacture nanoscale waveguides will be available for industrial and commercial applications by 2015.

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