Total internal diffraction of plasmon surface polaritons

Total internal diffraction of plasmon surface polariton fields by a dielectric phase grating is described. The grating was fabricated by partly desorbing thin organic multilayers deposited on top of the plasmon‐carrying Ag‐air interface through the regularly spaced holes of an electron microscope grid. The diffraction pattern shows for various angles of incidence a characteristic intensity distribution which can be understood taking into account a grating wave vector mediated coupling of the two plasmons corresponding to the two different layer structures.