Broadband color routing with a single element nanoantenna for communication bands

Abstract

Spectral routing techniques have attracted plenty of research attention for the past decades, as they enable light manipulation in both the frequency domain and the spatial domain, which is crucial for applications in on-chip spectroscopy, optical switching, and modern communications. Here, we demonstrate an ultra-compact asymmetric nanoplasmonic router for communication bands that routes O and C bands to opposite positions. The nanorouter consists of two uneven grooves that create bidirectional scattered optical fields, utilizing the interference between different optical modes inside the grooves. A broadband spectrum exceeding 100 nm and a maximum extinction ratio of 31 dB are achieved, providing new opportunities for nanophotonic color routing solutions and extensions to other areas such as imaging sensors and spectral measurements.