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Interaction between optical nano-objects at metallo-dielectric interfaces

Nature Physics volume 2, pages 551–556 (2006)Cite this article

Abstract

The light interactions between subwavelength apertures in metallic screens represent a basic diffraction phenomenon that has been studied for a long time. Initial reports have promoted the surface plasmon polariton (SPP) as the main vector responsible for the interaction. However, recent experimental results largely question this point of view and favour an interaction based on a new type of surface wave. Here we provide a comprehensive study of the different mechanisms involved in the electromagnetic interaction between optical nano-objects such as slits and holes at metallo-dielectric interfaces. We show that the interaction is driven by two very different near-field contributions, the SPP mode of the interface and a creeping wave. Although their relative impact strongly depends on the frequency range of interest and on the actual geometry of the nano-objects, SPPs are shown to be the primary vector of the interaction at visible frequencies.

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Figure 1: Comparison between numerical and analytical treatments and experimental data for the groove–slit experiment.
Figure 2: Comparison between our numerical treatment (solid black line) and the experimental data (circles) for the groove–hole geometry shown in the inset.
Figure 3: Influence of the groove width in the interaction process.
Figure 4: Normalized transmission |S/S0|2 for the slit/groove experiment and for different wavelengths.
Figure 5: Green functions at Ag/air interfaces for wavelength ranging from the visible to thermal infrared.

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Acknowledgements

Financial support from the French contract ACN nanosciences 2004 and from the Network of Excellence on Micro-optics (NEMO) are acknowledged. The authors are grateful to J. Weiner for fruitful discussions and for providing us with experimental data, to J.-C. Rodier for providing computational assistance, and to P. Chavel for critical comments.

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  1. Laboratoire Charles Fabry de l’Institut d’Optique, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, F-91403, Orsay cedex, France

    P. Lalanne & J. P. Hugonin

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  1. P. Lalanne
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  2. J. P. Hugonin
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Correspondence to P. Lalanne.

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Lalanne, P., Hugonin, J. Interaction between optical nano-objects at metallo-dielectric interfaces. Nature Phys 2, 551–556 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/nphys364

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