Surface corrugation and surface-polariton binding in the infrared frequency range

Abstract

We consider the influence of a small-amplitude grating on the binding of surface polaritons to metal surfaces, with emphasis on the infrared frequency range. The grating can compress the field in the vacuum above the structure very substantially in this regime. Indeed, a grating can bind the surface polariton in the limit of zero skin depth (or infinite conductivity). The results of recent experiments are discussed in light of these results. We also comment on the influence of small-amplitude random roughness on the spatial profile of surface-polariton fields.