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Updated: Mar 22, 2026
07:39
Determination of the Excitation and Coupling Rates Between Light Emitters and Surface Plasmon Polaritons
Published on: July 21, 2018
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Visualizing surface plasmons with photons, photoelectrons, and electrons.
P Z El-Khoury1, P Abellan, Y Gong
1Physical Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99352, USA. patrick.elkhoury@pnnl.gov.
The Analyst
|April 13, 2016
Summary
Researchers visualize surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) using advanced microscopy and spectroscopy. These techniques achieve unprecedented spatial and temporal resolution, revealing SPP behavior in metal nanostructures.
Area of Science:
- Plasmonics and Nanophotonics
- Surface Science
- Ultrafast Spectroscopy
Background:
- Surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) are collective electron oscillations on metal surfaces.
- Characterizing SPPs requires high spatial and temporal resolution due to their nanoscale and transient nature.
- Existing methods struggle to capture both localized and propagating SP modes simultaneously.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review and highlight techniques for visualizing enhanced electric fields of SPs.
- To demonstrate the capability of advanced imaging methods for SPP characterization.
- To illustrate SPP visualization at ultimate spatiotemporal limits.
Main Methods:
- Hyperspectral optical microscopy
- Tip-enhanced Raman nano-spectroscopy (TERS)
- Nonlinear photoemission electron microscopy (PEEM)
- Correlated scanning transmission electron microscopy-electron energy loss spectroscopy (STEM-EELS)
Main Results:
- Multidimensional imaging of SPPs in prototypical plasmonic nanostructures.
- Visualization of enhanced electric fields associated with SP modes.
- Demonstration of joint nanometer spatial and femtosecond temporal resolution.
Conclusions:
- Advanced optical and electron microscopy techniques enable detailed SPP characterization.
- These methods provide insights into the behavior of localized and propagating SP modes.
- The reviewed techniques push the boundaries of visualizing SPPs in space and time.
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