Though photonics displays an attractive solution to the speed limitation of electronics, decreasing the size of photonic devices is one of the major problems with implementing photonic integrated circuits that are regarded the challenges to produce all-optical computers. Plasmonic can solve these problems, it be a potential solution to fill the gaps in the electronics (large bandwidth and ultra-high speed) and photonics (diffraction limit due to miniaturization size). In this paper, Nano-rings Insulator-Metal-Insulator (IMI) plasmonic waveguides has been used to propose, design, simulate, and perform all-optical universal logic gates (NOR and NAND gates). By using Finite Element Method (FEM), the structure of the proposed plasmonic universal logic gates are designed and numerically simulated by two dimensions (2-D) structure. Silver and Glass materials were chosen to construct proposed structure. The function of the proposed plasmonic NOR and NAND logic gates was achieved by destructive and constructive interferences principle. The performance of the proposed device is measured by three criteria; the transmission, extension ratio, and modulation depth. Numerical simulations show that a transmission threshold (0.3) which allows achieving the proposed plasmonic universal logic gates in one structure at 1550 nm operating wavelength. The properties of this devise was as follows: The transmission exceeds 100% in one state of NAND gate, medium values of Extension Ratio, very high MD values, and very small foot print. In the future, this device will be the access to the nanophotonic integrated circuits and it has regarded fundamental building blocks for all-optical computers.
Rapidly reconfigurable all-optical universal logic gates
