title: Hybridized metal slit eigenmodes as an illustration of Babinet's principle.
abstract: By energy-filtering transmission electron microscopy (EFTEM), we observe Fabry-Pérot-like surface plasmon resonances (SPRs) along the length of rectangular single and double slits drilled into free-standing thin silver films. These eigenmodes hybridize in closely situated slits. The nature of their lateral coupling is uncovered from finite-element simulations, which show that the symmetry and energy sequence of hybrid modes is governed by Babinet complementarity principles. Interestingly, the modes of a double slit system, being proto-self-complementary, may alternatively be explained by magnetic interactions between slit fields or by electrostatic interactions across the metallic bridge separating the slits.
authors.affiliation: Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Heisenbergstrasse 3, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany. ogut@is.mpg.de
authors.forename: Burcu
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ögüt
authors.forename: Ralf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vogelgesang
authors.forename: Wilfried
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Sigle
authors.forename: Nahid
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Talebi
authors.forename: Christoph T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Koch
authors.forename: Peter A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: van Aken