Design and Analysis of the Integrated Plasma Wave Micro-Optical Modulator/Switch

Feasibility of a new integrated amplitude modulator/switch operating up to the visible spectrum, based on the absorption of light due to the linear interaction of the incident laser and a two-dimensional plasma layer is demonstrated. Plasma layers are generated via the Muller effect at the waveguide's interfaces. A plasma wave is excited in the two-dimensional gas when it is illuminated by electromagnetic radiation. Thus, due to the energy transfer from the electromagnetic wave to the plasma wave, the output light intensity can be controlled. The device is capable of amplitude modulation of guided beams in dielectric waveguides. Analysis based on both full-classical and semiclassical approaches are performed and are compared.