title: Plasmon-assisted two-slit transmission: Young's experiment revisited.
abstract: We present an experimental and theoretical study of the optical transmission of a thin metal screen perforated by two subwavelength slits, separated by many optical wavelengths. The total intensity of the far-field double-slit pattern is shown to be reduced or enhanced as a function of the wavelength of the incident light beam. This modulation is attributed to an interference phenomenon at each of the slits, instead of at the detector. The interference arises as a consequence of the excitation of surface plasmons propagating from one slit to the other.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Astronomy, Free University, De Boelelaan 1081, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: H F
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Schouten
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kuzmin
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dubois
authors.forename: T D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Visser
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gbur
authors.forename: P F A
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Alkemade
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Blok
authors.forename: G W 't
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Hooft
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lenstra
authors.forename: E R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Eliel