Dielectric-loaded surface plasmon polariton waveguides on a finite-width metal strip

We investigate the guiding properties of a dielectric-loaded surface plasmon polariton waveguide on a finite-width metal strip. The guided mode is characterized by leakage radiation microscopy for different metal strip widths. We show a strong mode attenuation for metal strip widths below 1.75 μm at telecom wavelength λ=1.55 μm. We estimate the minimal width using numerical methods and propose an original interpretation. Good agreement with the measured data is achieved. The determination of this critical width is a prerequisite for designing miniaturized plasmonics devices.

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