Surface plasmon mediated polarization conversion

Paul Rochon; Ribal Georges Sabat

doi:10.1117/12.869877

22 September 2010 Surface plasmon mediated polarization conversion

Paul Rochon, Ribal Georges Sabat

Proceedings Volume 7750, Photonics North 2010; 77502F (2010) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.869877
Event: Photonics North 2010, 2010, Niagara Falls, Canada

Abstract

We study the polarization conversion from horizontally polarized to vertically polarized light (or vice versa) that occurs when light is incident on a cross-corrugated metal surface. The conversion is due to the optical energy exchange between the surface plasmon (SP) resonances at the metal-dielectric interface of the surface. The angular and wavelength dependence of the SP-induced polarization conversion was studied for cases where two perpendicular surface relief diffraction gratings of different pitch are used to couple the light into and out of the plasmon resonance modes. The polarization conversion occurs only when a plasmon mode is exited by one of the gratings and then the energy in this mode is out-coupled by the second grating. For various grating combinations this occurs at specific wavelength and incidence angles, otherwise no signal is obtained in a crossed polarizer set-up. An enhancement of the signal (and therefore of the surface field) is also observed when a standing wave surface plasmon is generated when one of the gratings produces counter propagating surface plasmons. A theoretical model based on graphical representations in momentum space of the travelling light beam through the specimen was developed and successfully applied to explain the experimental results.

Citation Download Citation

Paul Rochon and Ribal Georges Sabat "Surface plasmon mediated polarization conversion", Proc. SPIE 7750, Photonics North 2010, 77502F (22 September 2010); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.869877

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