Issue 9, 2018

Spin-encoded subwavelength all-optical logic gates based on single-element optical slot nanoantennas

Abstract

Optical logic gates are important elements in optical computing and optical circuits. However, the footprints of the present optical logic gates are still on the micrometer scale. Further miniaturization of the logic gates to nanometer scale remains challenging. Here we propose, and demonstrate experimentally, subwavelength all-optical logic gates based on single-element optical slot nanoantennas. By employing a spin-encoded scheme, we achieve OR, AND, NOT, NAND and NOR logic gates via an L-shaped optical slot nanoantenna with a footprint of 300 nm by 300 nm, and a XNOR logic gate via a rectangle optical slot nanoantenna with a footprint of 220 nm by 60 nm. The SPP launching and logic operation via mode coupling instead of path interference are integrated together at a single-element nanoantenna, which considerably shrinks the dimensions of the device. The experimental results show the potential of the single optical slot nanoantenna in subwavelength all-optical logic computing and nanophotonic information processing.

Graphical abstract: Spin-encoded subwavelength all-optical logic gates based on single-element optical slot nanoantennas

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
28 Nov 2017
Accepted
09 Feb 2018
First published
09 Feb 2018

Nanoscale, 2018,10, 4523-4527

Spin-encoded subwavelength all-optical logic gates based on single-element optical slot nanoantennas

Z. Yang, Y. Fu, J. Yang, C. Hu and J. Zhang, Nanoscale, 2018, 10, 4523 DOI: 10.1039/C7NR08871J

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