A near field actuated optical nanocavity

B. Cluzel (1, 2) , L. Lalouat (1) , P. Velha (2, 3, 4) , E. Picard (2) , D. Peyrade (3) , Jc. Rodier (4) , T. Charvolin (2) , Philippe Lalanne (4) , F. de Fornel (1) , E. Hadji (2)

1 ICB - Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire Carnot de Bourgogne
2 CEA - Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives
3 LTM - Laboratoire des technologies de la microélectronique
4 Laboratoire Charles Fabry de l'Institut d'Optique / Naphel

We demonstrate here that switching and tuning of a nanocavity resonance can be achieved by approaching a sub-micrometer tip inside its evanescent near-field. The resonance energy is tuned over a wide spectral range (Δλ/λ~10-3) without significant deterioration of the cavity peak-transmittance and of the resonance linewidth. Such a result is achieved by taking benefits from a weak tip-cavity interaction regime in which the tip behaves as a pure optical path length modulator.

Domaines: Optique [physics.optics]

B. Cluzel, L. Lalouat, P. Velha, E. Picard, D. Peyrade, et al.. A near field actuated optical nanocavity. Optics Express, 2008, 16 (1), pp.279-286. ⟨10.1364/OE.16.000279⟩. ⟨hal-00384571⟩