Electrical addressing of exceptional points in compact plasmonic structures

Abstract: Exceptional points (EPs) are degenerate singularities in a non-Hermitian system that can be induced by controlling the interaction between resonant photonic modes. EPs can enable unusual optical phenomena and significantly enhance the optical sensitivity under small perturbations. However, most studies thus far have been limited to static photonic structures. In this study, we propose and experimentally demonstrate electrically addressable EP in a plasmonic structure. Inspired by optical microcavity studies, we employ a localized spoof plasmon structure that supports circulating plasmonic modes in a compact single-resonator geometry. The plasmonic modes are perturbed by an angled metal line, and the interaction between the plasmonic modes is electrically controlled using a varactor. Continuous electrical tuning of the varactor capacitance facilitates simultaneous coalescence of the real and imaginary parts of the eigenfrequency, allowing the direct addressing of EPs. We first investigate the eigenmodes and their coupling in localized plasmonic structures using numerical simulations. We then present experimentally measured spectra that manifest the coalescence of the two resonant modes in both the resonance frequency and linewidth. Electrically addressable EPs in compact plasmonic structures may provide exciting opportunities for highly functional and tunable elements in integrated device platforms.