title: Dynamic control of optical transmission through a nano-slit using surface plasmons.
abstract: We demonstrate how the optical transmission by a directly illuminated, sub-wavelength slit in a metal film can be dynamically controlled by varying the incident beam's phase relative to that of a stream of surface plasmon polaritions which are generated at a nearby grating. The transmission can be smoothly altered from its maximum value to practically zero. The results from a simple model and from rigorous numerical simulations are in excellent agreement with our experimental results. Our method may be applied in all-optical switching.
authors.forename: Salman
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Daniel
authors.forename: Kimmo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Saastamoinen
authors.forename: Toni
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Saastamoinen
authors.forename: Jussi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rahomäki
authors.forename: Ari T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Friberg
authors.forename: Taco D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Visser