Abstract

A new method for optically exciting and visualizing surface plasmons in thin metal films is described. The technique relies on the use of a high-numerical-aperture objective lens to locally launch a broad wavelength spectrum of surface waves and to detect the leaky radiative modes associated with them. We used this approach to obtain a direct visualization of the plasmon intensity distributions, e.g., rainbow jets, and to quantify their propagation lengths throughout the visible spectrum.

© 2005 Optical Society of America

Dielectric optical elements for surface plasmons

Andreas Hohenau, Joachim R. Krenn, Andrey L. Stepanov, Aurelien Drezet, Harald Ditlbacher, Bernhard Steinberger, Alfred Leitner, and Franz R. Aussenegg
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Coupling of spontaneous emission from GaN–AlN quantum dots into silver surface plasmons

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Propagation length of surface plasmons in a metal film with roughness

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Propagation of long-range surface plasmon polaritons in photonic crystals

Alexandra Boltasseva, Thomas Søndergaard, Thomas Nikolajsen, Kristjan Leosson, Sergey I. Bozhevolnyi, and Jørn M. Hvam
J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 22(9) 2027-2038 (2005)