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Updated: Feb 9, 2026

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Determination of the Excitation and Coupling Rates Between Light Emitters and Surface Plasmon Polaritons
Published on: July 21, 2018
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Fast quantitative optical detection of heat dissipation by surface plasmon polaritons
Thomas B Möller1, Andreas Ganser, Martina Kratt
1Department of Physics, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany. elke.scheer@uni-konstanz.de.
Nanoscale
|June 14, 2018
Summary
Researchers quantified surface plasmon polariton (SPP) behavior in gold nanostructures using thermal imaging. This method offers insights into nanoscale heat dissipation, crucial for optoelectronic devices.
Area of Science:
- Nanoscale science and technology
- Optoelectronics
- Materials science
Background:
- Heat management is critical for nanoscale optoelectronic devices.
- Surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) play a role in heat dissipation.
- Understanding SPP dynamics is essential for device efficiency.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantitatively analyze the excitation, propagation, and decay of SPPs.
- To develop a novel method for nanoscale thermal analysis.
- To investigate heat management in thin gold stripes on silicon membranes.
Main Methods:
- Experimental measurements and simulations were compared.
- Temperature-dependent optical transmissivity of a silicon membrane was utilized.
- High spatial and temporal resolution thermal imaging was employed.
Main Results:
- Quantitative information on SPP behavior was obtained.
- Temperature distribution around a gold stripe was determined with high resolution.
- Thermal conductivity of the silicon membrane was derived.
Conclusions:
- The developed thermal imaging technique provides valuable insights into SPP dynamics.
- This method complements existing optical techniques for SPP monitoring.
- The tool shows high potential for heat management studies in nanoscale devices.
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