Fundamentals and Applications of Chalcogenide Phase-Change Material Photonics

Recently, chalcogenide phase-change materials (PCMs) photonics have become an emerging research field because the optical properties of the PCMs undergo a dramatic change during the amorphous-crystalline phase transition. The chalcogenide PCMs can be efficiently switched by electrical or short optical pulses, offering versatility in photonic applications and extraordinary capability to engineer light. The authors introduce the fundamentals of chalcogenide PCM-tuned photonics. The progress in the field is reviewed. Particularly, recent developments of metal-chalcogenide-metal (MCM) trilayered plasmonic nanostructures are presented. The authors then discuss the methodology of designing reconfigurable MCM-based photonic devices, their advantages, and their existing challenges. Finally, requirements and prospects to successfully implement chalcogenide PCMs in growing areas of photonics are discussed.