Optical modulation based on direct photon-plasmon coupling in organic/metal nanowire heterojunctions.

Surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) can be launched with an organic nanowire that serves as both light source and dielectric waveguide in a single organic/metal nanowire heterojunction. Efficient modulation of the output signals from the silver tip can be achieved via the alternation of incident polarizations, which is further used to design and realize prototypical photonic-plasmonic logic devices. These findings are essential for incorporating plasmonic waveguides as practical components into hybrid high-capacity photonic circuits.