Surface waves on the relativistic quantum plasma half-space

We present a theoretical investigation on the propagation of surface waves on the relativistic quantum plasma half-space. The dispersion relations of surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) and electrostatic surface waves containing relativistic quantum corrected terms are derived. Results show that the frequency of SPPs has a blue-shift, and surface Langmuir oscillations can propagate on the cold plasma half-space due to quantum effects. Numerical evaluation indicates that quantum effects to SPPs and electrostatic surface waves are significant and observable.     

Directional excitation of surface plasmon polaritons in structure of subwavelength metallic holes

In this paper, we propose a structure formed by two subwavelength holes fabricated in a metal film to realize directional excitation of surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs). The holes are employed as SPP sources, and the relative phase of SPPs generated at the hole exit end can be adjusted by changing the dielectric material filled in holes. Using the difference in relative phase values of SPP for two holes filled with different dielectric media, the SPPs can interfere constructively along one direction while destructively along the opposite direction. Our theoretical analysis is verified by the three-dimensional finite-difference time-domain method. Moreover, the directional excitation of SPPs in two-hole array structure is also discussed. It is found that the effect of SPPs directional excitation is improved with the increase of the number of two-hole.     

Dispersion of surface plasmon polaritons on metal wires in the terahertz frequency range

We report the experimental and theoretical study of the dispersive behavior of surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) on cylindrical metal surfaces in the terahertz frequency range. Time-domain measurements of terahertz SPPs propagating on metal wires reveal a unique structure that is inconsistent with a simple extrapolation of the high frequency portion of the dispersion diagram for SPPs on a planar metal surface, and also distinct from that of SPPs on metal nanowires observed at visible and near-infrared frequencies. The results are consistent with a numerical solution of Maxwell's equations, showing that the dispersive behavior of SPPs on a cylindrical metal surface at terahertz frequencies is quite different from that of SPPs on a flat surface. These findings indicate the increasing importance of skin effects for SPPs in the terahertz range, as well as the enhancement of such effects on curved surfaces.     

Surface Plasmon Polaritons of Two-Dimensional Three-Order Dendritic Structures

We study surface plasmon polaritons excited on two-dimensional three-order dendritic structures. Previous studies show that split ring resonators (SRRs)
can be used to obtain magnetic resonance, thus sustaining surface waves behaving like surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs). In this paper, we obtain detailed results on surface plasmon polaritons of several different grating structures and theoretically prove that this kind of structures can sustain SPPs. Besides, since dendritic structures can be fabricated by double template-assisted electrochemical deposition, it is worth noting that fabrication of SPP-based materials might be much easier.     

基于金属表面等离子激元控制光束的新进展

表面等离子激元(Surface plasmon polaritons,SPPs)是一种在金属-介质界面上激发并耦合电荷密度起伏的电磁振荡,具有近场增强、表面受限、短波长等特性,在纳米光子学的研究中扮演着重要角色。近年来表面等离子光学和基于SPPs的纳米光子器件的研究引起了国际上科学家们的广泛关注。讨论了SPPs的基本原理和在亚波长结构下的光学特性,介绍了基于亚波长金属结构的表面等离子激元在空间光束准直与聚焦、平面内光束聚焦与传导和在近场纳米光束的控制等方面的研究情况,以及在纳米光子学器件中的潜在应用。     

Terahertz surface plasmon-polariton propagation and focusing on periodically corrugated metal wires

In this Letter, we show how the dispersion relation of surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) propagating along a perfectly conducting wire can be tailored by corrugating its surface with a periodic array of radial grooves. In this way, highly localized SPPs can be sustained in the terahertz region of the electromagnetic spectrum. Importantly, the propagation characteristics of these spoof SPPs can be controlled by the surface geometry, opening the way to important applications such as energy concentration on cylindrical wires and superfocusing using conical structures.     

阿基米德螺旋微纳结构中的表面等离激元聚焦

研究光在微纳结构中的分布与传播, 实现在纳米范围内操纵光子, 对于微型光学芯片的设计有着重要意义. 本文利用聚焦离子束刻蚀方法, 在基底为石英玻璃的150 nm厚金膜上刻制了不同参数的阿基米德螺旋微纳狭缝结构, 通过改变入射光波长、手性、及螺旋结构手性和螺距等方式, 在理论和实验上系统地研究了阿基米德螺旋微纳结构中的表面等离激元聚焦性质. 我们发现, 除了入射激光偏振态、螺旋结构手性之外, 结构螺距与表面等离激元波长的比值也可以用来控制结构表面电场分布, 进而在结构中心形成0阶、1阶乃至更高阶符合隐失贝塞尔函数的涡旋电场. 通过相位分析, 我们对涡旋电场的成因进行了解释. 并利用有限时域差分的模拟方法计算了不同螺距时, 结构中形成的电场及相应空间相位分布. 最后利用扫描近场光学显微镜, 观测结构中不同的光场分布, 在结构中心得到了亚波长的聚焦光斑及符合不同阶贝塞尔函数的涡旋形表面等离激元聚焦环.     

Polarization-insensitive unidirectional spoof surface plasmon polaritons coupling by gradient metasurface

A polarization-insensitive unidirectional spoof surface plasmon polariton(SPP) coupler mediated by a gradient metasurface is proposed. The field distributions and average Poynting vector of the coupled spoof SPPs are analyzed. The simulated and experimental results support the theoretical analysis and indicate that the designed gradient metasurface can couple both the parallel-polarized and normally-polarized incident waves to the spoof SPPs propagating in the same direction at about 5 GHz.     

Numerical investigation of the enhanced unidirectional surface plasmon polaritons generator

A unidirectional surface plasmon polaritons(SPPs) generator with greatly enhanced generation efficiency is proposed. The SPPs generator consists of an asymmetric single nanoslit coated with a polyviny alcohol(PVA) film and a silver rectangle block. The generation efficiency of this SPPs generator is investigated using the finite difference time domain method. Due to the presence of the silver rectangle block, the SPPs generation efficiency of the asymmetric single nanoslit with PVA film can be greatly enhanced and the corresponding wavelength with the maximum enhancement factor can be tuned flexibly. The influence of the structural parameters on the generation efficiency is also investigated for the enhanced unidirectional SPPs generator.     

Nanoscale metal waveguide arrays as plasmon lenses

Propagation of surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) through a set of nanoscale metal waveguide arrays (MWGAs) is numerically simulated by using the finite-difference time-domain method. The results reveal that MWGAs show an interesting lens effect on SPPs: SPPs can be strongly focused or defocused by the MWGAs, which we attribute to anomalous coupling of SPPs in MWGAs. Our results imply interesting potential for MWGAs in, for example, nonlinear optics, optical imaging, and nanosensing.     

Chiral surface plasmon polaritons on metallic nanowires

Chiral surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) can be generated by linearly polarized light incident at the end of a nanowire, exciting a coherent superposition of three specific nanowire waveguide modes. Images of chiral SPPs on individual nanowires obtained from quantum dot fluorescence excited by the SPP evanescent field reveal the chirality predicted in our theoretical model. The handedness and spatial extent of the helical periods of the chiral SPPs depend on the input polarization angle and nanowire diameter as well as the dielectric environment. Chirality is preserved in the free-space output wave, making a metallic nanowire a broad bandwidth subwavelength source of circular polarized photons.     

Rapid laser prototyping of plasmonic components

Renewed and growing interest in the field of surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) comes from a rapid advance of nanostructuring technologies. In this paper, we will report on the application of two-photon polymerization (2PP) technique for the fabrication of dielectric SPP-structures, which can be used for localization, guiding, and manipulation of SPPs on a subwavelength scale. This technology is based on nonlinear absorption of near-infrared femtosecond laser pulses. Resolutions down to 100 nm (and even better) are already achievable. Characterization of these structures is performed by leakage radiation microscopy. 2PP allows the fabrication of dielectric waveguides, splitters, and couplers directly on metal surfaces. The dielectric structures on metal films are demonstrated to be very efficient for the excitation of SPPs. Using these structures, one can achieve excitation and focusing of the resulting plasmon field. PACS 42.70.Gi; 42.70.Jk; 42.82.Cr; 71.36.+c; 78.20.-e     

Light transmission properties of double-overlapped annular apertures

We investigate the light transmission properties of double-overlapped annular apertures in a silver film with the three-dimensional finite-difference time-domain method. It has been found that the transmission peaks are attributed to the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) of nanocavities and the surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) of the nanoparticles. The peaks of the LSPR are blueshifted when the overlapping distance is increased. Moreover, a Fano-type resonance appears in the transmitted spectral response with an appropriate overlapping distance, which is elucidated as the hybridization results of the SPPs of the nanoparticles. The number and position of the Fano resonance can be tuned through varying the overlapping distance and other geometric parameters.     

Switchable surface plasmon dichroic splitter modulated by optical polarization

For the miniaturization of optical devices, surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) have been widely utilized due to their outstanding confinement and field‐enhancement characteristics. Analyzing a spectrum of optical signals and splitting certain regions of the spectrum range within a submicrometer‐scale structure are demanded for optical integrated systems. In this paper, a novel type of dichroic surface plasmon launcher that can switch the launching direction according to incident polarization states is demonstrated. Compared to the previously reported plasmonic dichroic splitters, the proposed schemes do not use any asymmetric geometry for directional launching. Hence, the direction of guided SPPs can be interchanged according to the polarization state. Such characteristics will be helpful to design switchable plasmonic devices that can be applied to active plasmonic integrated circuits.     

表面等离子体亚波长光学前沿进展

目前表面等离子体激元(surface plasmon polaritons，SPPs)在光存储、光激发、显微术以及生物光子学等领域中的应用前景受到了广泛的关注．文章介绍了SPPs的基本性质和表面等离子体亚波长光学(surface plasmons subwavelength optics)研究中的热点问题及发展方向．     

Terahertz surface plasmon polaritons in textured metal surfaces formed by square arrays of metallic pillars

In this paper, we investigate numerically the characteristics of surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) sustained by two-dimensional arrays of metallic pillars protruding out of planar metal surfaces at terahertz (THz) frequencies. Various shapes of the pillars are analyzed, and it is shown that the pillar shape only has weak influence on the dispersion of spoof SPPs. However, the loss of spoof SPPs is closely dependent on the pillar shape. It is also shown that spoof SPPs on textured surfaces with pillars can exhibit much better confinement than those on pierced surfaces with holes.     

Surface Plasmon Polariton Fizeaus Dragging: via Relative Rotational Sensing

A new scheme focusing on the surface plasmon polariton interferometry between the metal and dielectric interface is introduced. The phase shift is measured by using surface plasmon polariton wave, generated at the interface of metallic and dielectric media. The phase shift of SPPs is modi?ed under phase and amplitude control of complex conductivity for interferometry. The control ?elds strongly in?uence the phase shift of SPPs for detection of molecular motion. The phase shift of SPPs is further modi?ed by Plasmon polariton Fizeaus dragging effect. We measure 20%–25%fractional change in delay and their phases shift between two left and right SPPs modes. Our results may have signi?cant applications in sensor interferometer technology.     

介质填充浅槽周期结构表面上的太赫兹表面等离子体激元

通过在金属表面刻成浅的垂直凹槽,并在槽内填充不同的介质,对金属表面浅槽周期结构上传播的表面等离子体激元的色散特性与填充介质的关系进行了研究.研究表明通过在周期凹槽内填充介质可以有效降低人工表面等离子体激元的渐近频率,并增强金属表面对电磁场的约束.分析了太赫兹波段金属的吸收损耗对人工表面等离子体激元特性的影响,结果显示基于填充介质的浅槽周期表面结构可以获得长距离传输以及场的亚波长约束.通过对波传输的数值仿真,验证了该表面结构在太赫兹波段良好的导波能力.这种表面结构对太赫兹波段新型集成导波器件的设计具有参考价值.     

介质填充浅槽周期结构表面上的太赫兹表面等离子体激元

通过在金属表面刻成浅的垂直凹槽,并在槽内填充不同的介质,对金属表面浅槽周期结构上传播的表面等离子体激元的色散特性与填充介质的关系进行了研究.研究表明通过在周期凹槽内填充介质可以有效降低人工表面等离子体激元的渐近频率,并增强金属表面对电磁场的约束.分析了太赫兹波段金属的吸收损耗对人工表面等离子体激元特性的影响,结果显示基于填充介质的浅槽周期表面结构可以获得长距离传输以及场的亚波长约束.通过对波传输的数值仿真,验证了该表面结构在太赫兹波段良好的导波能力.这种表面结构对太赫兹波段新型集成导波器件的设计具有参考价值.