Non-Linear Optical Properties of Hybridized Surface Plasmon Polaritonic Crystals: Observation of Optical Bistability

Summary form only given. The use of surface plasmons (SP) is recognized as being central to the development of nanoscale assemblies of photonic and opto-electronic devices. This is motivated by the spatially confined nature of these electromagnetic waves as well as their resonant behavior. Amongst plasmonic supporting structures, surface plasmonic crystals (SPCs) draw particular interest because of their tailored optical properties. A geometry common to SPCs consists in a periodic arrangement of holes or slits in a metal film. Their complex optical response is then governed by coherent interactions between Bloch modes at the film's interfaces and modes supported by the holes or slits. These…