Active asymmetric plasmonic Bragg gratings

We discuss asymmetric reflectance in surface plasmon Bragg gratings incorporating optical gain, referred to as active asymmetric surface plasmon Bragg gratings. It is shown that balanced modulation of index and gain/loss with quarter pitch spatial shift causes unidirectional coupling between contra-propagating modes in long-range surface plasmon polariton Bragg gratings. Such gratings operate at the breaking threshold of parity-time symmetry (exceptional point). Two active asymmetric surface plasmon Bragg gratings designs are proposed and their performance is examined through modal and transfer matrix method computations.