Launching and decoupling surface plasmons via micro-gratings

Controlling separately the launching of surface plasmons and their recovery as freely propagating light is essential for the development of surface plasmon photonic circuits. With this target in mind, we have studied in the near-field the launching of surface plasmons in a well-defined direction by micro-arrays of subwavelength holes milled in a thick metal film. We show that surface plasmons can then be converted back to freely propagating light by means of another appropriately designed array. These results not only provide insight into the efficient decoupling of surface plasmons but also into their role in the enhanced transmission mechanism.

[1]  Daniel Maystre,et al.  The total absorption of light by a diffraction grating , 1976 .

[2]  R. H. Ritchie.  Plasma Losses by Fast Electrons in Thin Films , 1957 .

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

[4]  Bernhard Lamprecht,et al.  Near-field observation of surface plasmon polariton propagation on thin metal stripes , 2001 .

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

[6]  W. Barnes,et al.  Efficient coupling of surface plasmon polaritons to radiation using a bi-grating , 2001 .

[7]  J. Sánchez-gil.  Surface defect scattering of surface plasmon polaritons: Mirrors and light emitters , 1998 .

[8]  H. Raether.  Surface Plasmons on Smooth and Rough Surfaces and on Gratings , 1988 .

[9]  W. Barnes,et al.  Surface plasmon subwavelength optics , 2003, Nature.

[10]  H. Lezec,et al.  Multiple paths to enhance optical transmission through a single subwavelength slit. , 2003, Physical review letters.

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

[12]  Near-field and far-field scattering of surface plasmon polaritons by one-dimensional surface defects , 1999, cond-mat/9904347.

[13]  Paul K. Hansma,et al.  Efficiency of light emission from surface plasmons , 1982 .

[14]  D. Heitmann,et al.  Grating couplers for surface plasmons excited on thin metal films in the Kretschmann-Raether configuration , 1999 .

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