The role of leaky plasmon waves in the directive beaming of light through a subwavelength aperture.

We show that the enhanced directivity phenomenon for light passing through a subwavelength aperture in a silver film with corrugations on the exit face, is due to a leaky wave that decays exponentially from the aperture. We show quantitatively that the field along the interface of the silver film is dominated by the leaky wave, and that the radiation of the leaky wave, supported by the periodic structure, yields the directive beam. The leaky wave propagation and attenuation constants parameterize the physical radiation mechanism, and provide important design information for optimizing the structure. Maximum directivity occurs when the phase and attenuation constants are approximately equal.

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

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

[3]  T. Ebbesen,et al.  Light in tiny holes , 2007, Nature.

[4]  F. Capolino,et al.  Fundamental properties of the field at the interface between air and a periodic artificial material excited by a line source , 2005, IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation.

[5]  T. Ebbesen,et al.  Analysis of the transmission process through single apertures surrounded by periodic corrugations. , 2004, Optics express.

[6]  T. Tamir,et al.  GUIDED COMPLEX WAVES: PART I. FIELDS AT AN INTERFACE , 1963 .

[7]  R A Linke,et al.  Enhanced light transmission through a single subwavelength aperture. , 2001, Optics letters.

[8]  Ajay Nahata,et al.  Giant optical transmission of sub-wavelength apertures: physics and applications , 2002 .

[9]  A. A. Oliner,et al.  Guided complex waves. Part 2: Relation to radiation patterns , 1963 .

[10]  H. Lezec,et al.  Theory of highly directional emission from a single subwavelength aperture surrounded by surface corrugations. , 2003, Physical review letters.

[11]  Luis Martín-Moreno,et al.  Focusing light with a single subwavelength aperture flanked by surface corrugations , 2003 .

[12]  Michel Neviere,et al.  Enhanced light transmission by hole arrays , 2002 .

[13]  David R. Jackson,et al.  Radiation from cylindrical leaky waves , 1990 .

[14]  E. Michielssen,et al.  Beam Transmission Through Periodic Subwavelength Hole Structures , 2007, IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation.

[15]  Thomas W. Ebbesen,et al.  Surface-plasmon-enhanced transmission through hole arrays in Cr films , 1999 .

[16]  David R. Jackson,et al.  Beaming of light at broadside through a subwavelength hole: Leaky wave model and open stopband effect , 2005 .

[17]  Ekmel Ozbay,et al.  Extraordinary grating-coupled microwave transmission through a subwavelength annular aperture. , 2005, Optics express.

[18]  Irfan Bulu,et al.  Plasmonic structures with extraordinary transmission and highly directional beaming properties , 2006 .

[19]  Walid S. Saba,et al.  ANALYSIS AND DESIGN , 2000 .

[20]  M. Majewski,et al.  Optical properties of metallic films for vertical-cavity optoelectronic devices. , 1998, Applied optics.

[21]  D. Jackson,et al.  Analysis and Optimization of Leaky-Wave Radiation at Broadside From a Class of 1-D Periodic Structures , 2006, IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation.

[22]  D. Wilton,et al.  ASM–FDTD: A Technique for Calculating the Field of a Finite Source in the Presence of an Infinite Periodic Artificial Material , 2007, IEEE Microwave and Wireless Components Letters.

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

[24]  Beruete,et al.  Enhanced microwave transmission and beaming using a subwavelength slot in corrugated plate , 2004, IEEE Antennas and Wireless Propagation Letters.