Surface quality and surface waves on subwavelength-structured silver films

Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Files
CDEW4_PRL_mod2.pdf(266.24 KB)
Accepted Version
Date
2007-01-24
Authors
Gay, G.
Alloschery, O.
Weiner, J.
Lezec, H. J.
O'Dwyer, Colm
Sukharev, M.
Seideman, T.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
American Physical Society
Research Projects
Organizational Units
Journal Issue
Abstract
We analyze the physical-chemical surface properties of single-slit, single-groove subwavelength-structured silver films with high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and calculate exact solutions to Maxwell’s equations corresponding to recent far-field interferometry experiments using these structures. Contrary to a recent suggestion the surface analysis shows that the silver films are free of detectable contaminants. The finite-difference time-domain calculations, in excellent agreement with experiment, show a rapid fringe amplitude decrease in the near zone (slit-groove distance out to 3–4 wavelengths). Extrapolation to slit-groove distances beyond the near zone shows that the surface wave evolves to the expected bound surface plasmon polariton (SPP). Fourier analysis of these results indicates the presence of a distribution of transient, evanescent modes around the SPP that dephase and dissipate as the surface wave evolves from the near to the far zone.
Description
Keywords
Finite difference method , Interferometry , Silver , Surface structure , Surface waves , Time domain analysis , Transmission electron microscopy
Citation
Gay, G., Alloschery, O., Weiner, J. ,Lezec, H. J. ,O'Dwyer, C. ,Sukharev, M. and Seideman, T. (2007) 'Surface quality and surface waves on subwavelength-structured silver films'. Physical Review E, 75, 016612. http://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevE.75.016612
Link to publisher’s version
Copyright
© 2007 American Physical Society