We propose an exact design, analysis, and visualization method for multiple surface plasmon resonance (MSPR) mode excitation phenomena for a structure composed of an optimized-thickness polymethyl-methacrylate layer and a gold thin-film layer. The proposed simulation method is based on a recursive transfer matrix method (R-TMM) and Gaussian angular spectrum decomposition. Our method illustrates, under the Kretchmann-Raether attenuated total reflection (ATR) geometry, the response for an angle-modulated Gaussian incident beam. To verify the simulation results we also performed experiments to excite MSPR modes under the ATR geometry. Our fast and exact R-TMM with the Gaussian angular spectrum method can be widely applied to the design and analysis of metal- and dielectric-composed thin film structures.

© 2005 Optical Society of America

1. H. Raether, Surface Plasmons on Smooth and Rough Surfaces and on Gratings (Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 1988).
2. A. V. Zayats, I. I. Smolyaninov, and A. A. Maradudin, "Nano-optics of surface plasmon polaritons," Phys Reports 408, 131-314 (2005). [CrossRef]
3. J. Homola, S. Yee, and G. Gauglitz, "Surface plasmon resonance sensors: review," Sens. Actuators B 54, 3- 15 (1999). [CrossRef]
4. B. Rothenhausler and W. Knoll, "Surface plasmon microscopy," Nature 332, 615-617 (1988).
5. W. L. Barnes, A. Dereux, and T. W. Ebbesen, "Surface plasmon subwavelength optics," Nature 424, 824- 830 (2003). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
6. P. Andrew and W. L. Barnes, "Energy transfer across a metal film mediated by surface plasmon polaritons," Science 306, 1002-1005 (2004). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
7. O. J. F. Martin, C. Girard, and A. Dereux, "Generalized field propagator for electromagnetic scattering and light confinement," Phys. Rev. Lett. 74, 526-529 (1995). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
8. C. Hafner, The Generalized Multiple Multipole Technique for Computational Electromagnetics (Artech House, Boston, 1990).
9. A. Taflove and S. C. Hagness, Computational Electrodynamics: The Finite-Difference Time-Domain Method, 2nd ed. (Artech House, Boston, 2000).
10. Y. Xie, A. R. Zakharian, J. V. Moloney, and M. Mansuripur, "Transmission of light through a periodic array of slits in a thick metallic film," Opt. Express 13, 4485-4491 (2005), <a href= "http://www.opticsexpress.org/abstract.cfm?URI=OPEX-13-12-4485">http://www.opticsexpress.org/abstract.cfm?URI=OPEX-13-12-4485</a> [CrossRef] [PubMed]
11. P. Drude, "Zur Elektronentheorie der Metalle," Ann. Phys. 1, 566-613 (1900). [CrossRef]
12. G. Mie, "Beiträge zur Optik trüber Medien, speziell Kolloidalen Metall-lösungen," Ann. Phys. 25, 377�??445 (1908). [CrossRef]
13. Handbook of Optical Constants of Solids, edited by E. D. Palik (Academic, New York, 1985).
14. F.-C. Chien and S.-J. Chenb, "A sensitivity comparison of optical biosensors based on four different surface plasmon resonance modes," Biosensors and Bioelec. 20, 633-642 (2004). [CrossRef]
15. B. E. A. Saleh and M. C. Teich, Fundamentals of Photonics (John Wiley & Sons, New York, 1991). [CrossRef]
16. F. I. Baida, D. V. Labeke, and J.-M. Vigoureux, "Near-field surface plasmon microscopy: A numerical study of plasmon excitation, propagation, and edge interaction using a three-dimensional Gaussian beam," Phys. Rev. B 60, 7812-7815 (1999). [CrossRef]
17. F. I. Baida, D. V. Labeke, and J.-M. Vigoureux, "Theoretical study of near-field surface plasmon excitation, propagation and diffraction," Opt. Commun. 171, 317-331 (1999). [CrossRef]

Ann. Phys.

• P. Drude, "Zur Elektronentheorie der Metalle," Ann. Phys. 1, 566-613 (1900). [CrossRef]
• G. Mie, "Beiträge zur Optik trüber Medien, speziell Kolloidalen Metall-lösungen," Ann. Phys. 25, 377�??445 (1908). [CrossRef]

Biosensors and Bioelec.

• F.-C. Chien and S.-J. Chenb, "A sensitivity comparison of optical biosensors based on four different surface plasmon resonance modes," Biosensors and Bioelec. 20, 633-642 (2004). [CrossRef]

Nature

• B. Rothenhausler and W. Knoll, "Surface plasmon microscopy," Nature 332, 615-617 (1988).
• W. L. Barnes, A. Dereux, and T. W. Ebbesen, "Surface plasmon subwavelength optics," Nature 424, 824- 830 (2003). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Opt. Commun.

• F. I. Baida, D. V. Labeke, and J.-M. Vigoureux, "Theoretical study of near-field surface plasmon excitation, propagation and diffraction," Opt. Commun. 171, 317-331 (1999). [CrossRef]

Opt. Express

• Y. Xie, A. R. Zakharian, J. V. Moloney, and M. Mansuripur, "Transmission of light through a periodic array of slits in a thick metallic film," Opt. Express 13, 4485-4491 (2005), <a href= "http://www.opticsexpress.org/abstract.cfm?URI=OPEX-13-12-4485">http://www.opticsexpress.org/abstract.cfm?URI=OPEX-13-12-4485</a> [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Phys Reports

• A. V. Zayats, I. I. Smolyaninov, and A. A. Maradudin, "Nano-optics of surface plasmon polaritons," Phys Reports 408, 131-314 (2005). [CrossRef]

Phys. Rev. B

• F. I. Baida, D. V. Labeke, and J.-M. Vigoureux, "Near-field surface plasmon microscopy: A numerical study of plasmon excitation, propagation, and edge interaction using a three-dimensional Gaussian beam," Phys. Rev. B 60, 7812-7815 (1999). [CrossRef]

Phys. Rev. Lett.

• O. J. F. Martin, C. Girard, and A. Dereux, "Generalized field propagator for electromagnetic scattering and light confinement," Phys. Rev. Lett. 74, 526-529 (1995). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Science

• P. Andrew and W. L. Barnes, "Energy transfer across a metal film mediated by surface plasmon polaritons," Science 306, 1002-1005 (2004). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Sens. Actuators B

• J. Homola, S. Yee, and G. Gauglitz, "Surface plasmon resonance sensors: review," Sens. Actuators B 54, 3- 15 (1999). [CrossRef]

Other

• C. Hafner, The Generalized Multiple Multipole Technique for Computational Electromagnetics (Artech House, Boston, 1990).
• A. Taflove and S. C. Hagness, Computational Electrodynamics: The Finite-Difference Time-Domain Method, 2nd ed. (Artech House, Boston, 2000).
• H. Raether, Surface Plasmons on Smooth and Rough Surfaces and on Gratings (Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 1988).
• B. E. A. Saleh and M. C. Teich, Fundamentals of Photonics (John Wiley & Sons, New York, 1991). [CrossRef]
• Handbook of Optical Constants of Solids, edited by E. D. Palik (Academic, New York, 1985).

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