Photonic properties of periodic arrays of nanometer-wide metal lines

Abstract

In this master thesis, the interaction of light with periodic arrays of nanometer-wide metal lines arestudied. To do so, extensive use of wave optics, waveguide and diffraction grating theories is made to better understand the interaction of light with a structure made of perfect electrical conductor (PEC) lines, both for TE and TM polarizations. In particular, we propose to gather the results of those theories in an original band structure to understand how light can couple into the array as a function of the geometrical parameters. The structure is viewed as periodic metallic waveguides simultaneously constituting a diffraction grating. The model is used to analyze quantitative numerical finite element calculations of reflectance and transmittance spectra (obtained using COMSOL Multiphysics). First, a grating of PEC lines is studied. Then an array of copper lines is analyzed and compared to the PEC lines.