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Updated: May 18, 2026
07:39
Determination of the Excitation and Coupling Rates Between Light Emitters and Surface Plasmon Polaritons
Published on: July 21, 2018
Cosine-Gauss plasmon beam: a localized long-range nondiffracting surface wave
Jiao Lin1, Jean Dellinger, Patrice Genevet
1School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA.
Physical Review Letters
|September 26, 2012
Summary
Researchers introduced a new surface wave, the cosine-Gauss beam, which travels without diffraction along metallic surfaces. This breakthrough offers potential for advanced plasmonics and optical interconnects.
Area of Science:
- Plasmonics and Nanophotonics
- Wave Propagation Physics
Background:
- Surface waves are crucial for nanoscale optical applications.
- Diffraction limits the propagation distance of conventional surface waves.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce and characterize a novel, non-diffracting surface wave: the cosine-Gauss beam.
- To demonstrate a simple and controllable method for generating these beams.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of a plasmon launcher using intersecting metallic gratings.
- Experimental and theoretical analysis of the cosine-Gauss beam's propagation characteristics.
Main Results:
- The cosine-Gauss beam propagates without diffraction along metallic surfaces up to 80 μm.
- The beam exhibits tight confinement to the surface and controllable directionality.
Conclusions:
- Cosine-Gauss beams offer a new tool for plasmonics, enabling efficient coupling to nanophotonic devices.
- This discovery paves the way for enhanced optical interconnects and next-generation nanophotonic designs.
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