Photonic surfaces for surface-plasmon polaritons

Abstract

We examine the propagation of surface-plasmon polaritons on textured surfaces. Specifically, we look at how a grating surface produces a band gap in the propagation of this mode and how the band gap depends on the propagation direction of the mode. This naturally leads to a discussion of a surface profile suitable for blocking surface mode propagation in all directions. By using a diffractive-optics-based theoretical modeling approach we examine the requirements for such a surface. We then confirm these expectations experimentally by producing a surface exhibiting a band gap for surface-plasmon polariton modes in all directions in the energy range 1.91–2.00 eV.