Surface plasmons are waves that propagate along the surface of a conductor. By altering the structure of a metal's surface, the properties of surface plasmons--in particular their interaction with light--can be tailored, which offers the potential for developing new types of photonic device. This could lead to miniaturized photonic circuits with length scales that are much smaller than those currently achieved. Surface plasmons are being explored for their potential in subwavelength optics, data storage, light generation, microscopy and bio-photonics.

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Surface plasmon subwavelength optics

Fundamentals of Plasmonics.- Electromagnetics of Metals.- Surface Plasmon Polaritons at Metal / Insulator Interfaces.- Excitation of Surface Plasmon Polaritons at Planar Interfaces.- Imaging Surface Plasmon Polariton Propagation.- Localized Surface Plasmons.- Electromagnetic Surface Modes at Low Frequencies.- Applications.- Plasmon Waveguides.- Transmission of Radiation Through Apertures and Films.- Enhancement of Emissive Processes and Nonlinearities.- Spectroscopy and Sensing.- Metamaterials and Imaging with Surface Plasmon Polaritons.- Concluding Remarks.

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Plasmonics: Fundamentals and Applications

1. Introduction 2. Theoretical foundations 3. Propagation and focusing of optical fields 4. Spatial resolution and position accuracy 5. Nanoscale optical microscopy 6. Near-field optical probes 7. Probe-sample distance control 8. Light emission and optical interaction in nanoscale environments 9. Quantum emitters 10. Dipole emission near planar interfaces 11. Photonic crystals and resonators 12. Surface plasmons 13. Forces in confined fields 14. Fluctuation-induced phenomena 15. Theoretical methods in nano-optics Appendices Index.

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Principles of nano-optics

Recent advances in the exploitation of localized surface plasmons (charge density oscillations confined to metallic nanoparticles and nanostructures) in nanoscale optics and photonics, as well as in the construction of sensors and biosensors, are reviewed here. In particular, subsequent to brief surveys of the most-commonly used methods of preparation and arraying of materials with localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR), and of the optical manifestations of LSPR, attention will be focused on the exploitation of metallic nanostructures as waveguides; as optical transmission, information storage, and nanophotonic devices; as switches; as resonant light scatterers (employed in the different near-field scanning optical microscopies); and finally as sensors and biosensors.

Exploitation of Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance

12.2.2. Four-Wave Mixing (FWM) 4849 12.2.3. Dye Aggregation 4850 12.2.4. Optoelectronic Nanodevices 4850 12.3. Sensor 4851 12.3.1. Chemical Sensor 4851 12.3.2. Biological Sensor 4851 12.4. Catalysis 4852 13. Conclusion and Perspectives 4852 14. Abbreviations 4853 15. Acknowledgements 4854 16. References 4854 * Corresponding author E-mail: tpal@chem.iitkgp.ernet.in. † Raidighi College. § Indian Institute of Technology. 4797 Chem. Rev. 2007, 107, 4797−4862

Interparticle Coupling Effect on the Surface Plasmon Resonance of Gold Nanoparticles: From Theory to Applications

We report on the experimental observation of near-field optical effects close to Au nanoparticles using a photon scanning tunneling microscope (PSTM). Constant height operation of the PSTM allowed an unprecedented direct comparison with theoretical computations of the distribution of the optical near-field intensity. An unexpected squeezing of the optical near field due to plasmon coupling was observed above a chain of Au nanoparticles.

Squeezing the Optical Near-Field Zone by Plasmon Coupling of Metallic Nanoparticles

We use a photon scanning tunneling microscope to probe the field of surface plasmon polariton modes excited on finite-width thin metal films (metal stripes). We first investigate the coupling between surface plasmons launched by a focused beam on a homogeneous thin film and the modes sustained by metal stripes of different widths. We show that, if the width of the metal stripe is about a few micrometers, a strong coupling with the stripe modes can be achieved at visible frequencies. A sharp transverse confinement of the field associated with the surface plasmon modes propagating on the metal stripe is unambiguously observed on the constant height photon scanning tunneling microscope images. The back-reflection of these modes at the end of the stripe leads to a surface-wave interference pattern from which the wavelength of the stripe surface plasmon modes is directly measured. We finally demonstrate that metal stripes could be used for optical addressing purposes at the micrometer scale since a stripe with a triangularly shaped termination performs the focusing of the stripe surface plasmon field.

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Near-field observation of surface plasmon polariton propagation on thin metal stripes

We report on the direct observation of localized surface plasmon coupling using a photon scanning tunneling microscope. The surface plasmons are excited in gold nanostructures tailored by electron beam lithography. Electromagnetic energy transfer from a resonantly excited nanoparticle to a nanowire, which is not directly excited by the incident light is observed. Our experimental results appear to be in good agreement with theoretical computations based on Green's dyadic technique.

Direct observation of localized surface plasmon coupling

We present a new form of optical microscope. An evanescent field is produced in the lower index medium of an ATR system and modulated by a sample deposited on the hypotenuse of the prism. A sharpened fiber optic probes this field and gives information about the topography of the surface.

An Evanescent Field Optical Microscope

The photon-scanning tunneling microscope is the photon analog to the electron-scanning tunneling microscope. It uses the evanescent field due to the total internal reflection of a light beam in a prism, modulated by a sample attached to the prism. The exponential decay of the evanescent field is characterized by the penetration depth dp and depends on the angle of incidence θ, the wavelength, and the polarization of the incident beam. The 1/e decay lengths range from 150 to 265 nm as deduced from the expression of the electric-field intensity in the rarer medium for θ = π/2. If we place another optically transparent medium near the surface, frustrated total reflection occurs. It is shown theoretically and experimentally that, if we choose an appropriate angle of incidence θ(θ ≠ π/2) and change the index of refraction of one of the media, the decay length of the electric field can be extremely small, so that images with an improved resolution can be produced.

J. P. Goudonnet

Papers

Squeezing the Optical Near-Field Zone by Plasmon Coupling of Metallic Nanoparticles

Near-field observation of surface plasmon polariton propagation on thin metal stripes

Direct observation of localized surface plasmon coupling

An Evanescent Field Optical Microscope

Sample–tip coupling efficiencies of the photon-scanning tunneling microscope