Light transmission through nanostructured metallic films: coupling between surface waves and localized resonances.

We present an experimental and computational investigation of the optical properties of thin metallic films periodically perforated with nanometric apertures and show that high transmission through such a structure is attributable to the localized surface plasmon (LSP) resonances of the aperture. The periodicity-related optical phenomena, including Wood's anomaly and surface plasmon polariton (SPP) excitation, interfere with LSPs and generate Fano resonances with asymmetric spectral profiles. The transmission maximum of the Fano profile is related to the constructive interference between the LSP field and diffracted light propagating along the surface; the transmission minimum of the Fano profile is caused by the destructive interference between LSPs and SPPs. The study confirms the negative role of SPP in transmission through the structure.

[1]  J. P. Woerdman,et al.  Fano-type interpretation of red shifts and red tails in hole array transmission spectra , 2003, physics/0401054.

[2]  M Mansuripur,et al.  Transmission of light through periodic arrays of sub-wavelength slits in metallic hosts. , 2006, Optics express.

[3]  Henri Lezec,et al.  Diffracted evanescent wave model for enhanced and suppressed optical transmission through subwavelength hole arrays. , 2004, Optics express.

[4]  L. Tzuang,et al.  Effect of Wood's anomalies on the profile of extraordinary transmission spectra through metal periodic arrays of rectangular subwavelength holes with different aspect ratio. , 2009, Optics express.

[5]  Stephen Gray,et al.  Surface plasmon generation and light transmission by isolated nanoholes and arrays of nanoholes in thin metal films. , 2005, Optics express.

[6]  H. Lezec,et al.  Extraordinary optical transmission through sub-wavelength hole arrays , 1998, Nature.

[7]  Thomas W. Ebbesen,et al.  Surface plasmons enhance optical transmission through subwavelength holes , 1998 .

[8]  N. V. van Hulst,et al.  Strong influence of hole shape on extraordinary transmission through periodic arrays of subwavelength holes. , 2004, Physical review letters.

[9]  Y. Zhao,et al.  Surface-plasmon-assisted resonant tunneling of light through a periodically corrugated thin metal film. , 2000, Optics letters.

[10]  J. Pendry,et al.  Theory of extraordinary optical transmission through subwavelength hole arrays. , 2000, Physical review letters.

[11]  Anatoly V. Zayats,et al.  Light tunneling via resonant surface plasmon polariton states and the enhanced transmission of periodically nanostructured metal films: An analytical study , 2003 .

[12]  P. Nordlander,et al.  The Fano resonance in plasmonic nanostructures and metamaterials. , 2010, Nature materials.

[13]  P. Lalanne,et al.  Negative role of surface plasmons in the transmission of metallic gratings with very narrow slits. , 2002, Physical review letters.

[14]  David N. Jamieson,et al.  Extraordinary optical transmission with coaxial apertures , 2007 .

[15]  U. Fano.  Effects of Configuration Interaction on Intensities and Phase Shifts , 1961 .

[16]  Thomas W. Ebbesen,et al.  Optical transmission properties of a single subwavelength aperture in a real metal , 2004 .

[17]  Thomas W. Ebbesen,et al.  Fornel, Frédérique de , 2001 .

[18]  Michael Treacy,et al.  Dynamical diffraction in metallic optical gratings , 1999 .

[19]  R A Linke,et al.  Beaming Light from a Subwavelength Aperture , 2002, Science.