Observation of plasmon propagation, redirection, and fan-out in silver nanowires.
We report the coupling of free-space photons (vacuum wavelength of 830 nm) to surface plasmon modes of a silver nanowire. The launch of propagating plasmons, and the subsequent emission of photons, is selective and occurs only at ends and other discontinuities of the nanowire. In addition, we observe that the nanowires redirect the plasmons through turns of radii as small as 4 microm. We exploit the radiating nature of discontinuities to find a plasmon propagation length >3 +/- 1 microm. Finally, we observe that interwire plasmon coupling occurs for overlapping wires, demonstrating plasmon fan-out at subwavelength scales.
Sanders
Aric W
AW
Department of Physics, Yale University, P.O. Box 208284, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, USA. aric.sanders@yale.edu
Routenberg
David A
DA
Wiley
Benjamin J
BJ
Xia
Younan
Y
Dufresne
Eric R
ER
Reed
Mark A
MA
D008027:Light; D046911:Macromolecular Substances / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry; D008422:Materials Testing; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D043942:Nanotubes / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry*; D012542:Scattering, Radiation; D012834:Silver / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry*; D020349:Surface Plasmon Resonance / Q000379:methods*
D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D012834:Silver