0000000000306214
AUTHOR
Aude L. Lereu
showing 6 related works from this author
Probing large area surface plasmon interference in thin metal films using photon scanning tunneling microscopy.
2003
Abstract The interference of surface plasmons can provide important information regarding the surface features of the hosting thin metal film. We present an investigation of the interference of optically excited surface plasmons in the Kretschmann configuration in the visible spectrum. Large area surface plasmon interference regions are generated at several wavelengths and imaged with the photon scanning tunneling microscope. Furthermore, we discuss the non-retarded dispersion relations for the surface plasmons in the probe–metal system modeled as confocal hyperboloids of revolution in the spheroidal coordinate systems.
Microscale Marangoni actuation: All-optical and all-electrical methods
2006
We present experimental results from an all-optical microfluidic platform that may be complimented by a thin film all-electrical network. Using these configurations we have studied the microfluidic convective flow systems of silicone oil, glycerol, and 1,3,5-trinitrotoluene on open surfaces through the production of surface tension gradients derived from thermal gradients. We show that sufficient localized thermal variation can be created utilizing surface plasmons and/or engaging individually addressable resistive thermal elements. Both studies manipulate fluids via Marangoni forces, each having their unique exploitable advantages. Surface plasmon excitation in metal foils are the driving …
Imaging standing surface plasmons by photon tunneling
2005
We present a direct method for optically exciting and imaging delocalized standing surface plasmons in thin metal films. We show theoretically that when imaging the field of the plasmons with a photon scanning tunneling microscope, the presence of the dielectric probe has a negligible effect on the surface modes of the metal film. We demonstrate that plasmon interference can be sustained in arbitrarily large regions of the metal film in comparison to the excitation wavelength. This knowledge can be important when seeking the relative distance between two scattering centers such as the presence of micron or submicron structures.
Discontinuity induced angular distribution of photon plasmon coupling
2011
Metal-dielectric transitions are important structures that can display a host of optical characteristics including excitation of plasmons. Metal-dielectric discontinuities can furthermore support plasmon excitation without a severe condition on the incident angle of the exciting photons. Using a semi-infinite thin gold film, we study surface plasmon (SP) excitation and the associated electromagnetic near-field distribution by recording the resulting plasmon interference patterns. In particular, we measure interference periods involving SPs at the scanable metal/air interface and the buried metal/glass one. Supported by optical near-field simulations and experiments, we demonstrate that the …
Surface plasmon assisted thermal coupling of multiple photon energies
2006
A novel optical effect can be observed in a thin gold foil due to the excitation of surface plasmons which permits a form of all-optical modulation at low pulse rates. Modulated excitation of surface plasmons by infrared photons is shown to couple to several beams at visible-photon energies. The coupling is manifested by the observation of the visible photons being pulsed by the action of the infrared pulses, and by the far field diffraction of the visible beams into concentric rings. When each visible beam also excites surface plasmons, then a quadratic dependence of the visible photon power upon the infrared incident power is measured. The decay of surface plasmons is implicated as the pr…
Curvature effects in surface plasmon dispersion and coupling
2005
We have studied the resonant coupling of surface plasmons in curved thin-film tunneling geometries by obtaining the dispersion relations for the system. The surface plasmon dispersion relations are calculated for a metal-coated dielectric probe above a dielectric half space with and without metal coating. The system is modeled in the prolate spheroidal system, and the dispersion relations are studied as functions of the parameter that defines the boundaries of the tip and the corresponding coating, and as functions of the involved coating thicknesses. Using this type of probe-substrate configuration, the nonradiative surface plasmon coupling mechanism is investigated in the visible spectrum…