Nanostructure-Mediated Launching and Detection of 2D Surface Plasmons (original) (raw)

Excitation of surface plasmons in metallic thin films using nanoparticle arrays

20th Iranian Conference on Electrical Engineering (ICEE2012), 2012

In this paper, a device for coupling light into symmetric and asymmetric surface plasmon modes in a metallic thin film is presented. This device consists of a two-dimensional periodic array of nanoparticles located above a silver thin film that supports surface plasmons. The nanoparticles and the metallic thin film are embedded in silica. By exciting local surface plasmons in these nanoparticles, light is coupled into the metallic thin film. The coupling process is simulated using finite integration technique. The effects of size of nanoparticles, their distance from the metallic film and the thickness of the metallic film on the coupling are investigated.

Phase-controlled propagation of surface plasmons

Light: Science & Applications, 2017

Directional emission of electromagnetic radiation can be achieved using a properly shaped single antenna or a phased array of individual antennas. Control of the individual phases within an array enables scanning or other manipulations of the emission, and it is this property of phased arrays that makes them attractive in modern systems. Likewise, the propagation of surface plasmons at the interface between metal films and dielectric materials can be determined by shaping the individual surface nanostructures or via the phase control of individual elements in an array of such structures. Here, we demonstrate control of the propagation of surface plasmons within a linear array of nanostructures. The generic situation of plasmonic surface propagation that is different on both sides of a metal film provides a unique opportunity for such control: plasmons propagating on the slower side feed into the side with the faster propagation, creating a phased array of interfering antennas and thus controlling the directionality of the wake fields. We further show that by shaping the individual nanoantennas, we can generate an asymmetric propagation geometry.

Compact Magnetic Antennas for Directional Excitation of Surface Plasmons

Nano Letters, 2012

Plasmonics is considered as one of the most promising candidates for implementing the next generation of ultrafast and ultracompact photonic circuits. Considerable effort has been made to scale down individual plasmonic components into the nanometer regime. However, a compact plasmonic source that can efficiently generate surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) and deliver SPPs to the region of interest is yet to be realized. Here, bridging the optical antenna theory and the recently developed concept of metamaterials, we demonstrate a subwavelength, highly efficient plasmonic source for directional generation of SPPs. The designed device consists of two nanomagnetic resonators with detuned resonant frequencies. At the operating wavelength, incident photons can be efficiently channeled into SPP waves modulated by the electric field polarization. By tailoring the relative phase at resonance and the separation between the two nanoresonators, SPPs can be steered to predominantly propagate along one specific direction. This novel magnetic nanoantenna paves a new way to manipulate photons in the near-field, and also could be useful for SPPbased nonlinear applications, active modulations, and wireless optical communications.

Experimental demonstration of propagating plasmons in metallic nanoshells

Optics Express, 2012

In this paper, we show the experimental demonstration of plasmon propagation in cylindrical metallic nanoshells which is coated, via the electroless silver deposition method, on dielectric nanorods fabricated by using the direct laser writing method. The experimental measurement and the numerical analysis reveal the polarization sensitivity of the plasmon modes within the nanoshells. We further characterize the fundamental properties of these plasmon modes by exploiting their dispersive features and explain the mechanism for the excitation of the plasmon modes by identifying their radiative and nonradiative nature.

Subwavelength propagation and localization of light using surface plasmons: A brief perspective

Pramana, 2014

Surface plasmons at the metal-dielectric interface have emerged as an important candidate to propagate and localize light at subwavelength scales. By tailoring the geometry and arrangement of metallic nanoarchitectures, propagating and localized surface plasmons can be obtained. In this brief perspective, we discuss: (1) how surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) and localized surface plasmons (LSPs) can be optically excited in metallic nanoarchitectures by employing a variety of optical microscopy methods; (2) how SPPs and LSPs in plasmonic nanowires can be utilized for subwavelength polarization optics and single-molecule surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) on a photonic chip; and (3) how individual plasmonic nanowire can be optically manipulated using optical trapping methods.

Two-dimensional control of surface plasmons and directional beaming from arrays of subwavelength apertures

Physical Review B, 2004

We demonstrate two-dimensional control of coherent modes of surface plasmons (SP) in a metallic array of subwavelength apertures. SP mode intensity and propagation direction is manipulated by varying the wavelength, incidence angle, and polarization of the excitation photons. We also demonstrate directional beaming of light from this device. Finite-difference-time-domain simulations of the SP modes closely resemble the observations by near-field scanning optical microscopy. Calculated SP coupling efficiencies and transmission are also presented.

Similarities and differences for light-induced surface plasmons in one- and two-dimensional symmetrical metallic nanostructures

Optics Letters, 2006

Two types of double-sided nanostructure, one possessing a slit aperture with parallel grooves and the other possessing a circular aperture with concentric grooves, were fabricated to examine the similarities and differences of their diffraction behavior in one-dimensional (1-D) and two-dimensional (2-D) nanostructures. Based on the projection-slice theory, we conjecture that the surface plasmons in these two different nanoscale grooves possess similar modes. A localized surface plasmon (LSP) was used to examine the transmission characteristics induced by the apertures. The transmission characteristics of the slitted nanostructure and the circular nanostructure aperture were then measured. We coupled the transmission spectra measured from these two apertures with a 1-D parallel groove transmission curve simulated by a 1-D rigorous coupled wave analysis. Measured spectra results show reasonable agreement with the simulated data. We propose that the apparent blueshift observed in the peak frequency of a 2-D nanostructure is due to the difference in the shape of the aperture and the spot transmission characteristics of 1-D and 2-D systems as induced by a LSP.

Propagation of high-frequency surface plasmons on gold

Journal of the Optical Society of America B, 2008

Propagation of surface plasmons on gold in the range 2.8-3.5 eV over 0.1-1.6 m distances was characterized by cathodoluminescence spectroscopy. Surface plasmons were excited by an electron beam near a grating milled in the gold. The spectra of outcoupled radiation reveal increasingly strong propagation losses as surface plasmon energy increases above 2.8 eV, but little effect in the range 1.6-2.8 eV. These results are in partial agreement with theoretical expectations.