In this project we investigated active, Si-compatible linear and nonlinear sources in plasmonic and metamaterials for high-density information processing. The objective of this two-year research program was to design and to engineer scalable, low-threshold, efficient light sources based on sub-wavelength mode confinement and nanoscale photonic-plasmonic coupling in active Si-based nanocavity structures and arrays for high-density integration and information processing. We have demonstrated state-of-the-art nano-ring plasmonic cavities with enhanced emission efficiency, polarization-switchable nano-antennas, broadband hybrid (multi-metal, metal-dielectric, all-dielectric) nanostructured arrays for the generation and control of the optical angular momentum of light, and developed new Si-compatible nonlinear metamaterials. These activities are particularly interesting for the development of active nano-pixels with enhanced emission/absorption rates and structured light (i.e., phase engineered) manipulation on a Si chip. Imaging systems, miniaturized photodetector arrays and light sources with specified emission patterns can be developed based on the concepts that we introduced and the results that we demonstrated.
