Surface plasmon–polariton wave propagation guided by a metal slab in a sculptured nematic thin film

Abstract

Abstract.Surface-plasmon-polariton (SPP) wave propagation guided by a metal slab in a periodically nonhomogeneous sculptured nematic thin film (SNTF) was studied theoretically. The morphologically significant planes of the SNTF on both sides of the metal slab could either be aligned or twisted with respect to each other. The canonical boundary-value problem was formulated, solved for SPP-wave propagation, and examined to determine the effect of slab thickness on the multiplicity and the spatial profiles of SPP waves. Decrease in slab thickness was found to result in more intense coupling of two metal/SNTF interfaces. But when the metal slab becomes thicker, the coupling between the two interfaces reduces and SPP waves localize to one of the two interfaces. The greater the coupling between the two metal/SNTF interfaces, the smaller is the phase speed.

Excitation of Surface Plasmon-Polariton Wave at Both Interfaces of a Silver Thin Film in Two-Layer Kretschmann Geometry

“…In quantum viewpoint, SPPs are quasi-particles resulting from the coupling of plasmons in metals to polarized photons of light. But, the trains of SPPs can be viewed classically as SPP wave at metal-dielectric interface [2]. SPPs are very sensitive to environmental conditions and properties, and this property can be used in sensing different types of adsorbed nanoparticles and chemical species [3].…”

Surface plasmon resonance due to the interface of a metal and a chiral sculptured thin film

“…6,7 The theoretical basis for the excitation of multiple SPR and excitation by s-polarization is explained by Faryad and Lakhtakia. 10 Although these SPP waves propagate with the same frequency, they have different phase speeds, polariza-0091-3286/2010/$25.00 C 2010 SPIE tion states, attenuation rates, and field distributions. Multiple SPP waves in a chiral sculptured thin film (CSTF) have been experimentally observed for p-polarized incident light.…”

Rigorous formulation of surface plasmon-polariton wave propagation along the direction of periodicity of a one-dimensional photonic crystal

“…It is hoped that this formulation will open up new avenues of research to exploit this long-neglected interface since most of the research has been focused on the other interface where the surface wave propagates in an interface perpendicular to the direction of periodicity. Let us note that this scheme can be extended to find canonical solutions of possible SPP waves guided by one-dimensional gratings combining the technique presented in this paper with the techniques of surface waves guided by a slab of one material sandwitched between two other materials [36][37][38].…”