title: Subwavelength focusing and guiding of surface plasmons.
abstract: The constructive interference of surface plasmon polaritons (SPP) launched by nanometric holes allows us to focus SPP into a spot of high near-field intensity having subwavelength width. Near-field scanning optical microscopy is used to map the local SPP intensity. The resulting SPP patterns and their polarization dependence are accurately described in model calculations based on a dipolar model for the SPP emission at each hole. Furthermore, we show that the high SPP intensity in the focal spot can be launched and propagated on a Ag strip guide with a 250 x 50 nm2 cross section, thus overcoming the diffraction limit of conventional optics. The combination of focusing arrays and nano-waveguides may serve as a basic element in planar nano-photonic circuits.
authors.affiliation: Materials Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439, USA.
authors.forename: Leilei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.forename: Vitali K
authors.initials: VK
authors.lastname: Vlasko-Vlasov
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pearson
authors.forename: Jon M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Hiller
authors.forename: Jiong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hua
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Welp
authors.forename: Dennis E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Clyde W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Kimball
mesh_terms: D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry*; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D055095:Optics and Photonics / Q000295:instrumentation*; D012031:Refractometry / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D020349:Surface Plasmon Resonance / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods