title: Localization and waveguiding of surface plasmon polaritons in random nanostructures.
abstract: We propose to use channels in strongly scattering nonabsorbing random media for guiding electromagnetic waves, and demonstrate this concept using near-field microscopy of surface plasmon polaritons (SPP's) propagating along the gold film surface covered with randomly located scatterers. In the wavelength range of 725-765 nm, we observe complete inhibition of the SPP propagation inside the random structures composed of approximately 50-nm-wide gold bumps and their clusters with the density of 50 microm(-2), as well as well-defined SPP guiding along corrugation-free 2- and 4-microm-wide channels.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Physics, Aalborg University, Pontoppidanstroede 103, DK-9220 Aalborg Øst, Denmark. sergey@physics.auc.dk
authors.forename: Sergey I
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Bozhevolnyi
authors.forename: Valentyn S
authors.initials: VS
authors.lastname: Volkov
authors.forename: Kristjan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Leosson