Surface plasmon polariton waveguiding in random surface nanostructures

J Microsc. 2003 Mar;209(Pt 3):209-13. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2818.2003.01109.x.

Abstract

In this study, guiding of surface plasmon polaritons excited at a gold film surface along corrugation-free channels in regions that are covered with randomly located surface scatterers, is considered using near-field microscopy for imaging of surface plasmon polariton intensity distributions at the surface. In the wavelength range 713-815 nm, we observed complete inhibition of the surface plasmon polariton propagation inside the random structures composed of individual ( approximately 70 nm high) gold bumps (and their clusters) placed on a 55 nm thick gold film with a bump density of 75 micro m-2. We demonstrate well-defined surface plasmon polariton guiding along corrugation-free 2 micro m wide channels in random structures and, in the wavelength range 738-774 nm, low-loss guiding around 20 degrees bends having a bend radius of approximately 15 micro m.

MeSH terms

  • Gold / chemistry
  • Light
  • Microscopy, Electron, Scanning*
  • Nanotechnology*
  • Particle Size
  • Scattering, Radiation
  • Surface Plasmon Resonance*

Substances

  • Gold