Hybrid electro-optical plasmonic modulators and switches for integrated optical signal processing

By breaking the diffraction limit, plasmonics enable the miniaturization of integrated optical signal processing units in a platform compatible with traditional CMOS technology. In such architectures, modulators and switches are essential elements for fast and low-power optical signal processing. This work reviews the state-of- the-art on electro-optical plasmonic integrated components, comprising different propagation length scales and tuning mechanisms. Among these, particular attention is paid to the Pockels effect in non-linear polymers and the electro- optical switching of nematic liquid crystalline materials.electro-optical switching of nematic liquid crystalline materials.