Enhancing and confining light in hybrid plasmonic nanowire-integrated V-groove silicon waveguides

Abstract In recent years, the field of dielectric-plasmonic photonics has made remarkable strides, leading to the successful development of various technologies. The realization of sophisticated optical circuits on a single platform has become increasingly viable. Here we propose and investigate a hybrid dielectric waveguide integrated with plasmonics. This hybrid optical waveguide comprises a copper nanowire situated in close proximity to a silicon V-groove channel, separated by a nanoscale gap. This configuration is particularly advantageous, as achieving precise alignment of the nanowire within the V-groove addresses a fundamental challenge in engineering a fully functional integrated component. Additionally, a silicon nitride film coats the V-groove. Utilizing finite element analysis, we conduct numerical simulations to analyze field properties and modal propagation at a specific wavelength of 1550 nm. Our simulations reveal that meticulous optimization of the nanowire and V-groove channel’s geometrical parameters enables effective tailoring of the hybrid mode. This optimization results in strong mode coupling between the dielectric waveguide mode and the surface plasmon, leading to substantial field enhancement, confinement, and extended propagation length. These waveguides also hold promise for sensing applications, facilitating the detection of sample variations and locations due to pronounced mode characteristics. The proposed hybrid approach demonstrates potential for integration into high-level photonic circuits and on-chip optical computing systems.