Abstract
Surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) are modes that propagate at the interface between a metal and a dielectric. Such modes generally propagate over distances of order ten microns. For the special case where an ultra-thin metal film is embedded between dielectrics with identical permittivities, the plasmons can propagate several centimeters, and are called long range surface plasmons (LRSPPs). However, the special requirement of a symmetric dielectric environment limits the applications of LRSPPs. It turns out that if the metal film is deposited on a dielectric support layer of the proper thickness, which has dielectric constant larger than the environment, the plasmons in the new structure retain many of the merits of the original LRSPPs, such as long propagation lengths, large field enhancements, etc. However, the field distribution of the plasmons in the new structure strongly depends on the thickness of the supporting dielectric layer. Here we will systematically discuss surface plasmons, with special emphasis on this new structure, along with some possible applications.
Original language | English (US) |
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Title of host publication | New Developments in Photon and Materials Research |
Publisher | Nova Science Publishers, Inc. |
Pages | 349-363 |
Number of pages | 15 |
ISBN (Print) | 9781626183391 |
State | Published - 2013 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Physics and Astronomy