title: Realistic Silver Optical Constants for Plasmonics.
abstract: Silver remains the preferred conductor for optical and near-infrared plasmonics. Many high-profile studies focus exclusively on performance simulation in such applications. Almost invariably, these use silver optical data either from Palik's 1985 handbook or, more frequently, an earlier Johnson and Christy (J&C) tabulation. These data are inconsistent, making it difficult to ascertain the reliability of the simulations. The inconsistency stems from challenges in measuring representative properties of pristine silver, due to tarnishing on air exposure. We demonstrate techniques, including use of silicon-nitride membranes, to access the full capabilities of multiple-angle, spectrometric-ellipsometry to generate an improved data set, representative of overlayer-protected, freshly-deposited silver films on silicon-nitride and glass.
authors.affiliation: Australian Centre for Advanced Photovoltaics, School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, 2052, Australia.
authors.forename: Yajie
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Australian Centre for Advanced Photovoltaics, School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, 2052, Australia.
authors.forename: Supriya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pillai
authors.affiliation: Australian Centre for Advanced Photovoltaics, School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, 2052, Australia.
authors.forename: Martin A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Green