Date of Award
Spring 5-2016
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science in Optical Engineering
Department
Department of Physics and Optical Engineering
First Advisor
Azad Siahmakoun
Second Advisor
Sergio Granieri
Third Advisor
Daniel Morris
Abstract
Surface plasmon resonance can be used to confine a wave within a thin metal film. The resultant wave is very well-confined by the extreme refractive index difference between the metal and the ambient medium. Such confinement can be used to guide waves under extreme conditions such as subwavelength channels or through extremely tight bends where radiation losses would normally dissipate the wave.
A nichrome thin film was deposited and etched as a shadow alongside a series of multi-mode SU-8 slab waveguides with extremely sharp angled bends. Light from a Helium-Neon laser was coupled into these waveguides and the power transmitted was measured and compared to a sample without a nichrome thin film. A total attenuation of signal was found in the non-metallic sample, while a steady signal was successfully transmitted through the sample with the thin film.
Recommended Citation
Spoor, Daniel Steven, "Bending Loss Mitigation by Surface Plasmon Resonance" (2016). Graduate Theses - Physics and Optical Engineering. 17.
https://scholar.rose-hulman.edu/optics_grad_theses/17