Linear and nonlinear plasmonic effects modulated by a metalinsulator transition

Localized and propagating plasmonic effects in noble-metal nanostructures are receiving worldwide attention as potential enabling principles for optical and electro-optic devices. A critical need in plasmonic device design is a general technique for active modulation of the plasmon response. In this paper, we describe the use of a reversible, solid-solid phase transition in VO₂ to modulate plasmonic response. Case studies are drawn from experiments on nano structured hole and particle arrays in which VO₂ acts as a modulator by altering the local dielectric constant.