Gain-assisted optical switching in plasmonic nanocavities

A plasmonic cavity filled with active material is proposed to explain optical switching. Optical properties, including transmission, response time, and field distribution of on/off state, are numerically investigated. We demonstrate that such a gain-assisted plasmonic structure can achieve optical switching in the nanodomain and shorten the switching time to the subpicosecond level. Our results indicate the potential application of the proposed structure in optical communication and photonic integrated circuits.