Wavelength-selective directional coupling with dielectric-loaded plasmonic waveguides

We consider wavelength-selective splitting of radiation using directional couplers (DCs) formed by dielectric-loaded surface-plasmon-polariton waveguides (DLSPPWs). The DCs were fabricated by depositing subwavelength-sized polymer ridges on a gold film using large-scale UV photolithography and characterized at telecommunications wavelengths with near-field microscopy. We demonstrate a DLSPPW-based 45-mu m-long DC comprising 3 mu m offset S bends and 25-mu m-long parallel waveguides that changes from the through state at 1500 nm to 3 dB splitting at 1600 nm, and show that a 50.5-mu m-long DC should enable complete separation of the radiation channels at 1400 and 1620 nm. The DC performance is found to be in good agreement with full vectorial three-dimensional finite-element simulations. (C) 2009 Optical Society of America