We describe a method to observe the directional emission of electromagnetic radiation produced by the radiative decay of surface plasmon-polaritons (SPPs) that allows the dispersion of the modes in k-space to be directly visualized. The method presented here opens up the possibility of characterizing the effect of a wide range of surface morphologies on SPP dispersion. As an example we show the formation of a stop-band for SPPs when the metal surface is modulated in the form of a diffraction grating.

© 2005 Optical Society of America

1. H. Raether, Surface Plasmons on Smooth and Rough Surfaces and on Gratings (Springer Verlag, Berlin, 1988).
2. E. Devaux, T. W. Ebbesen, J. Weeber and A. Dereux, �??Launching and decoupling surface plasmons via micro-gratings,�?? Appl. Phys. Lett. 83, 4936-4938 (2003). [CrossRef]
3. W. L. Barnes, S. C. Kitson, T. W. Preist, and J. R. Sambles, �??Photonic surfaces for surface-plasmon polaritons,�?? J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 14, 1654-1661 (1997). [CrossRef]
4. J. B. Pendry, L. Martín-Moreno, and F. J. Garcia-Vidal, �??Mimicking surface plasmons with structured surfaces,�?? Science 305, 847-848 (2004). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
5. W. A. Murray, S. Astilean, and W. L. Barnes, �??Transition from localized surface plasmon resonance to extended surface plasmon-polariton as metallic nanoparticles merge to form a periodic hole array,�?? Phys. Rev. B 69, 165047 (2004). [CrossRef]
6. R. A. Depine, S. Ledesma, �??Direct visualization of surface-plasmon bandgaps in the diffuse background of metallic gratings,�?? Opt. Lett. 29, 2216-2218 (2004). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
7. J. Moreland, A. Adams, and P. K. Hansma, �??Efficiency of light-emission from surface-plasmons,�?? Phys. Rev. B 25, 2297-2300 (1982). [CrossRef]
8. H. J. Simon and J. K. Guha, �??Directional surface plasmon scattering from silver films,�?? Optics Communications 18, 391-394 (1976). [CrossRef]
9. P. R. Auvil, J. B. Ketterson, Y. Kim, and A. Kryukov, �??Simple model for the observed plasmon conical radiation interference patterns in a Kretschmann configuration,�?? Applied Optics 37, 8448-8452 (1998). [CrossRef]
10. Z. Liu, N. Fang, T. J. Yen, X. Zhang, �??Rapid growth of evanescent wave by a silver superlens,�?? Appl. Phys. Lett. 83, 5184-5186 (2003). [CrossRef]
11. N. Fang, Z. W. Liu, T. J. Yen, X. Zhang, �??Regenerating evanescent waves from a silver superlens,�?? Opt. Express 11, 682-687 (2003), <a href= "http://www.opticsexpress.org/abstract.cfm?URI=OPEX-11-7-682">http://www.opticsexpress.org/abstract.cfm?URI=OPEX-11-7-682</a> [CrossRef] [PubMed]
12. A. Giannattasio, I. R. Hooper, and W. L. Barnes, "Transmission of light through thin silver films via surface plasmon-polaritons," Opt. Express 12, 5881-5886 (2004), <a href= "http://www.opticsexpress.org/abstract.cfm?URI=OPEX-12-24-5881">http://www.opticsexpress.org/abstract.cfm?URI=OPEX-12-24-5881</a> [CrossRef] [PubMed]
13. S. Wedge, I. R. Hooper, I. Sage, W. L. Barnes, �??Light emission through a corrugated metal film: The role of cross-coupled surface plasmon polaritons,�?? Phys. Rev. B. 69, 245418 (2004). [CrossRef]
14. I. Gryczynski, J. Malicka, Z. Gryczynski, and J. R. Lakowicz, �??Radiative decay engineering 4. Experimental studies of surface plasmon-coupled directional emission,�?? Anal. Biochem. 324, 170-182 (2004). [CrossRef]
15. S. C. Kitson, W. L. Barnes, and J. R. Sambles, �??Full photonic band gap for surface modes in the visible,�?? Phys. Rev. Lett. 77, 2670-2673 (1996). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
16. D. Hilbert and S. Cohn-Vossen, Geometry and the Imagination (Chelsea, New York, 1999).

Anal. Biochem.

• I. Gryczynski, J. Malicka, Z. Gryczynski, and J. R. Lakowicz, �??Radiative decay engineering 4. Experimental studies of surface plasmon-coupled directional emission,�?? Anal. Biochem. 324, 170-182 (2004). [CrossRef]

Appl. Phys. Lett.

• Z. Liu, N. Fang, T. J. Yen, X. Zhang, �??Rapid growth of evanescent wave by a silver superlens,�?? Appl. Phys. Lett. 83, 5184-5186 (2003). [CrossRef]
• E. Devaux, T. W. Ebbesen, J. Weeber and A. Dereux, �??Launching and decoupling surface plasmons via micro-gratings,�?? Appl. Phys. Lett. 83, 4936-4938 (2003). [CrossRef]

Applied Optics

• P. R. Auvil, J. B. Ketterson, Y. Kim, and A. Kryukov, �??Simple model for the observed plasmon conical radiation interference patterns in a Kretschmann configuration,�?? Applied Optics 37, 8448-8452 (1998). [CrossRef]

J. Opt. Soc. Am. A

• W. L. Barnes, S. C. Kitson, T. W. Preist, and J. R. Sambles, �??Photonic surfaces for surface-plasmon polaritons,�?? J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 14, 1654-1661 (1997). [CrossRef]

Opt. Express

• N. Fang, Z. W. Liu, T. J. Yen, X. Zhang, �??Regenerating evanescent waves from a silver superlens,�?? Opt. Express 11, 682-687 (2003), <a href= "http://www.opticsexpress.org/abstract.cfm?URI=OPEX-11-7-682">http://www.opticsexpress.org/abstract.cfm?URI=OPEX-11-7-682</a> [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• A. Giannattasio, I. R. Hooper, and W. L. Barnes, "Transmission of light through thin silver films via surface plasmon-polaritons," Opt. Express 12, 5881-5886 (2004), <a href= "http://www.opticsexpress.org/abstract.cfm?URI=OPEX-12-24-5881">http://www.opticsexpress.org/abstract.cfm?URI=OPEX-12-24-5881</a> [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Opt. Lett.

• R. A. Depine, S. Ledesma, �??Direct visualization of surface-plasmon bandgaps in the diffuse background of metallic gratings,�?? Opt. Lett. 29, 2216-2218 (2004). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Optics Communications

• H. J. Simon and J. K. Guha, �??Directional surface plasmon scattering from silver films,�?? Optics Communications 18, 391-394 (1976). [CrossRef]

Phys. Rev. B

• J. Moreland, A. Adams, and P. K. Hansma, �??Efficiency of light-emission from surface-plasmons,�?? Phys. Rev. B 25, 2297-2300 (1982). [CrossRef]
• W. A. Murray, S. Astilean, and W. L. Barnes, �??Transition from localized surface plasmon resonance to extended surface plasmon-polariton as metallic nanoparticles merge to form a periodic hole array,�?? Phys. Rev. B 69, 165047 (2004). [CrossRef]

Phys. Rev. B.

• S. Wedge, I. R. Hooper, I. Sage, W. L. Barnes, �??Light emission through a corrugated metal film: The role of cross-coupled surface plasmon polaritons,�?? Phys. Rev. B. 69, 245418 (2004). [CrossRef]

Phys. Rev. Lett.

• S. C. Kitson, W. L. Barnes, and J. R. Sambles, �??Full photonic band gap for surface modes in the visible,�?? Phys. Rev. Lett. 77, 2670-2673 (1996). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Science

• J. B. Pendry, L. Martín-Moreno, and F. J. Garcia-Vidal, �??Mimicking surface plasmons with structured surfaces,�?? Science 305, 847-848 (2004). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Other

• H. Raether, Surface Plasmons on Smooth and Rough Surfaces and on Gratings (Springer Verlag, Berlin, 1988).
• D. Hilbert and S. Cohn-Vossen, Geometry and the Imagination (Chelsea, New York, 1999).

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