Optical phase front control in a metallic grating with equally spaced alternately tapered slits

A technique capable of focusing and bending electromagnetic (EM) waves through plasmonic gratings with equally spaced alternately tapered slits has been introduced. Phase resonances are observed in the optical response of transmission gratings, and the EM wave passes through the tuning slits in the form of surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) and obtains the required phase retardation to focus at the focal plane. The bending effect is achieved by constructing an asymmetric phase front which results from the tapered slits and gradient refractive index (GRIN) distribution of the dielectric material. Rigorous electromagnetic analysis by using the two-dimensional (2D) finite difference time domain (FDTD) method is employed to verify our proposed designs. When the EM waves are incident at an angle on the optical axis, the beam splitting effect can also be achieved. These index-modulated slits are demonstrated to have unique advantages in beam manipulation compared with the width-modulated ones. In combination with previous studies, it is expected that our results could lead to the realization of optimum designs for plasmonic nanolenses.