Plasmon-polariton waves in nanofilms on one-dimensional photonic crystal surfaces

Abstract

The propagation of bound optical waves along the surface of a one-dimensional\n(1-D) photonic crystal (PC) structure is considered. A unified description of\nthe waves in 1-D PCs for both s- and p-polarizations is done via an impedance\napproach. A general dispersion relation that is valid for optical surface waves\nwith both polarizations is obtained, and conditions are presented for\nlong-range propagation of plasmon-polariton waves in nanofilms (including lossy\nones) deposited on the top of the 1-D PC structure. A method is described for\ndesigning 1-D PC structures to fulfill the conditions required for the\nexistence of the surface mode with a particular wavevector at a particular\nwavelength. It is shown that the propagation length of the long-range surface\nplasmon-polaritons can be maximized by wavelength tuning, which introduces a\nslight asymmetry in the system.\n