Control of surface plasmon-polaritons in magnetoelectric heterostructures

TL;DR

This paper investigates how magnetoelectric materials influence surface plasmon-polaritons in heterostructures, revealing their potential for tunable plasmonic devices and optical control using external fields.

Contribution

It provides a detailed analysis of magnetoelectric effects on surface plasmon-polaritons, including configurations and materials like chromium oxide and composite magnetoelectric materials.

Findings

Magnetoelectric effects alter plasmonic wave polarization, localization, and dispersion.

Chromium (III) oxide enables switching between different magnetoelectric regimes.

Magnetoelectric heterostructures can be used for polarization-sensitive and tunable plasmonic applications.

Abstract

The work is devoted to the investigation of the surface plasmon polaritons in the metal - dielectric heterostructures containing materials with magnetoelectric properties. The analysis of various possible configurations shows that the magnetoelectric effect influences the plasmonic surface wave polarization, localization and dispersion. The essential case of chromium (III) oxide as a magnetoelectric dielectric is described in detail, revealing the switching between different regimes of magnetoelectric impact on plasmon-polaritons. Plasmonic heterostructures with magnetoelectric constituents can be used as a polarization- and dispersion-sensitive instrument to reveal the magnetoelectric coupling and besides might act as an optical tool for control of the surface plasmon-polariton dispersion and dynamics via external electric and magnetic fields. Apart from that, the described effects can be applied to the manipulation of the far-field optical response of plasmonic structures. Composite magnetoelectric materials like $\mathrm{BaTiO_3/BiFeO_3}$ that exhibit giant magnetoelectric effect are very promising for these purposes.