The excitation of surface plasmon polaritons (SPP) by focusing a laser beam on single subwavelength holes opened in a thin gold film is studied both experimentally and theoretically. By means of leakage radiation microscopy, quantitative measurements of the light-SPP coupling efficiency are performed for holes with different sizes and shapes. The system is studied theoretically by using a modal expansion method to calculate the fraction of the incident energy which is scattered by the hole into a surface plasmon. We demonstrate that a single subwavelength hole can be used to generate SPP with an efficiency up to 28%.

© 2008 Optical Society of America

1. J.-C. Weeber, Y. Lacroute and A. Dereux, "Optical near-field distributions of surface plasmon waveguide modes," Phys. Rev. B 68, 115401 (2003). [CrossRef]
2. M. U. González, J.-C. Weeber, A.-L. Baudrion, A. Dereux, A. L. Stepanov, J. R. Krenn, E. Devaux and T. W. Ebbesen, "Design, near-field characterization, and modeling of 45 surface-plasmon Bragg mirrors," Phys. Rev. B 73, 155416 (2006). [CrossRef]
3. A. Hohenau, J. R. Krenn, A. L. Stepanov, A. Drezet, H. Ditlbacher, B. Steinberger, A. Leitner and F. R. Aussenegg, "Dielectric optical elements for surface plasmons," Opt. Lett. 30, 893-895 (2005). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
4. E. Devaux, T.W. Ebbesen, J.-C. Weeber and A. Dereux, "Launching and decoupling surface plasmons via microgratings," Appl. Phys. Lett. 83, 4936-4938 (2003). [CrossRef]
5. R. H. Ritchie, E. T. Arakawa, J. J. Cowan and R. N. Hamm, "Surface-Plasmon Resonance Effect in Grating Diffraction," Phys. Rev. Lett. 21, 1530-1533 (1968). [CrossRef]
6. F. López-Tejeira, S. G. Rodrigo, L. Martin-Moreno, F. J. García-Vidal, E. Devaux, T. W. Ebbesen, J. R. Krenn, I. P. Radko, S. I. Bozhevolnyi, M. U. Gonzalez, J.-C. Weeber and A. Dereux, "Efficient unidirectional nanoslit couplers for surface plasmons," Nat. Phys. 3, 324-328 (2007). [CrossRef]
7. P. Lalanne and J. P. Hugonin, "Interaction between optical nano-objects at metallo-dielectric interfaces," Nat. Phys. 2, 551-556 (2006). [CrossRef]
8. H. Ditlbacher, J. R. Krenn, A. Hohenau, A. Leitner and F. R. Aussenegg, "Efficiency of local light-plasmon coupling," Appl. Phys. Lett. 83, 3665-3667 (2003). [CrossRef]
9. H. Ditlbacher, J. R. Krenn, G. Schider, A. Leitner, F. R. Aussenegg, "Two-dimensional optics with surface plasmon polaritons," Appl. Phys. Lett. 81, 1762-1764 (2002). [CrossRef]
10. E. Popov, N. Bonod, M. Nevière, H. Rigneault, P.-F. Lenne and P. Chaumet, "Surface plasmon excitation on a single subwavelength hole in a metallic sheet," Appl. Opt. 44, 2332-2337 (2005). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
11. T. W. Ebbesen, H. J. Lezec, H. F. Ghaemi, T. Thio, and P. A. Wolff, "Extraordinary optical transmission through sub-wavelength hole arrays," Nature 391, 667 (1998). [CrossRef]
12. A. Drezet, A. Hohenau, A. L. Stepanov, H. Ditlbacher, B. Steinberger, N. Galler, F. R. Aussenegg, A. Leitner and J. R. Krenn, "How to erase surface plasmon fringes," Appl. Phys. Lett. 89, 091117 (2006). [CrossRef]
13. E. Kretschmann and H. Raether, "Radiative decay of non-radiative surface plasmons excited by light," Z. Naturforsch. Teil A 23, 2135-2136 (1963).
14. H. Raether, Surface Plasmons, Springer Tracts in Modern Physics, (Springer, Berlin, 1988) Vol 111.
15. J. Magnes, D. Odera, J. Hartke, M. Fountain, L. Florence and V. Davis, "Quantitative and Qualitative Study of Gaussian Beam Visualization Techniques," http://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0605102.
16. B. Hecht, H. Bielefeldt, L. Novotny, Y. Inouye and D. W. Pohl, "Local Excitation, Scattering, and Interference of Surface Plasmons," Phys. Rev. Lett. 77, 1889-1892 (1996). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
17. A. Vial, A-S. Grimault, D. Macías, D. Barchiesi, and M. L. de la Chapelle, " Improved analytical fit of gold dispersion: Application to the modeling of extinction spectra with a finite-difference time-domain method," Phys. Rev. B 71, 085416 (2005). [CrossRef]
18. R. Gordon and A. G. Brolo, "Increased cut-off wavelength for a subwavelength hole in a real metal," Opt. Express 13, 1933-1938 (2005). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
19. F. J. García-Vidal, L Martín-Moreno, E. Moreno, L. K. S. Kumar, and R. Gordon, "Transmission of light through a single rectangular hole in a real metal," Phys. Rev. B 74, 153411 (2006). [CrossRef]
20. F. López-Tejeira, F.J. García-Vidal, and L. Martín-Moreno, "Scattering of surface plasmons by one-dimensional periodic nanoindented surfaces," Phys. Rev. B 72, 161405 (2005). [CrossRef]
21. J. Bravo-Abad, F. J. García-Vidal, and L. Martín-Moreno, "Resonant transmission of light through finite chains of subwavelength holes in a metallic film," Phys. Rev. Lett. 93, 227401 (2004). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
22. F. de León-Pérez, F. J. García-Vidal, and L. Martín-Moreno, to be published.
23. P. Lalanne, J. P. Hugonin and J. C. Rodier, "Theory of Surface Plasmon Generation at Nanoslit Apertures," Phys. Rev. Lett. 95, 263902 (2005). [CrossRef]
24. C. Genet and T. W. Ebbesen, "Light in tiny holes," Nature 445, 39 (2007). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
25. C. Sonnichsen, A. C. Duch, G. Steininger, M. Koch, G. von Plessen and J. Feldmann, "Launching surface plasmons into nanoholes in metal films," Appl. Phys. Lett. 76, 140-142 (2000). [CrossRef]
26. R. Wannemacher, "Plasmon-supported transmission of light through nanometric holes in metallic thin films," Opt. Commun. 195, 107-118 (2001). [CrossRef]

Appl. Opt.

• E. Popov, N. Bonod, M. Nevière, H. Rigneault, P.-F. Lenne and P. Chaumet, "Surface plasmon excitation on a single subwavelength hole in a metallic sheet," Appl. Opt. 44, 2332-2337 (2005). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Appl. Phys. Lett.

• A. Drezet, A. Hohenau, A. L. Stepanov, H. Ditlbacher, B. Steinberger, N. Galler, F. R. Aussenegg, A. Leitner and J. R. Krenn, "How to erase surface plasmon fringes," Appl. Phys. Lett. 89, 091117 (2006). [CrossRef]
• E. Devaux, T.W. Ebbesen, J.-C. Weeber and A. Dereux, "Launching and decoupling surface plasmons via microgratings," Appl. Phys. Lett. 83, 4936-4938 (2003). [CrossRef]
• H. Ditlbacher, J. R. Krenn, A. Hohenau, A. Leitner and F. R. Aussenegg, "Efficiency of local light-plasmon coupling," Appl. Phys. Lett. 83, 3665-3667 (2003). [CrossRef]
• H. Ditlbacher, J. R. Krenn, G. Schider, A. Leitner, F. R. Aussenegg, "Two-dimensional optics with surface plasmon polaritons," Appl. Phys. Lett. 81, 1762-1764 (2002). [CrossRef]
• C. Sonnichsen, A. C. Duch, G. Steininger, M. Koch, G. von Plessen and J. Feldmann, "Launching surface plasmons into nanoholes in metal films," Appl. Phys. Lett. 76, 140-142 (2000). [CrossRef]

Nat. Phys.

• F. López-Tejeira, S. G. Rodrigo, L. Martin-Moreno, F. J. García-Vidal, E. Devaux, T. W. Ebbesen, J. R. Krenn, I. P. Radko, S. I. Bozhevolnyi, M. U. Gonzalez, J.-C. Weeber and A. Dereux, "Efficient unidirectional nanoslit couplers for surface plasmons," Nat. Phys. 3, 324-328 (2007). [CrossRef]
• P. Lalanne and J. P. Hugonin, "Interaction between optical nano-objects at metallo-dielectric interfaces," Nat. Phys. 2, 551-556 (2006). [CrossRef]

Nature

• T. W. Ebbesen, H. J. Lezec, H. F. Ghaemi, T. Thio, and P. A. Wolff, "Extraordinary optical transmission through sub-wavelength hole arrays," Nature 391, 667 (1998). [CrossRef]
• C. Genet and T. W. Ebbesen, "Light in tiny holes," Nature 445, 39 (2007). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Opt. Commun.

• R. Wannemacher, "Plasmon-supported transmission of light through nanometric holes in metallic thin films," Opt. Commun. 195, 107-118 (2001). [CrossRef]

Opt. Express

• R. Gordon and A. G. Brolo, "Increased cut-off wavelength for a subwavelength hole in a real metal," Opt. Express 13, 1933-1938 (2005). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Opt. Lett.

• A. Hohenau, J. R. Krenn, A. L. Stepanov, A. Drezet, H. Ditlbacher, B. Steinberger, A. Leitner and F. R. Aussenegg, "Dielectric optical elements for surface plasmons," Opt. Lett. 30, 893-895 (2005). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Phys. Rev. B

• J.-C. Weeber, Y. Lacroute and A. Dereux, "Optical near-field distributions of surface plasmon waveguide modes," Phys. Rev. B 68, 115401 (2003). [CrossRef]
• M. U. González, J.-C. Weeber, A.-L. Baudrion, A. Dereux, A. L. Stepanov, J. R. Krenn, E. Devaux and T. W. Ebbesen, "Design, near-field characterization, and modeling of 45 surface-plasmon Bragg mirrors," Phys. Rev. B 73, 155416 (2006). [CrossRef]
• F. J. García-Vidal, L Martín-Moreno, E. Moreno, L. K. S. Kumar, and R. Gordon, "Transmission of light through a single rectangular hole in a real metal," Phys. Rev. B 74, 153411 (2006). [CrossRef]
• F. López-Tejeira, F.J. García-Vidal, and L. Martín-Moreno, "Scattering of surface plasmons by one-dimensional periodic nanoindented surfaces," Phys. Rev. B 72, 161405 (2005). [CrossRef]
• A. Vial, A-S. Grimault, D. Macías, D. Barchiesi, and M. L. de la Chapelle, " Improved analytical fit of gold dispersion: Application to the modeling of extinction spectra with a finite-difference time-domain method," Phys. Rev. B 71, 085416 (2005). [CrossRef]

Phys. Rev. Lett.

• P. Lalanne, J. P. Hugonin and J. C. Rodier, "Theory of Surface Plasmon Generation at Nanoslit Apertures," Phys. Rev. Lett. 95, 263902 (2005). [CrossRef]
• J. Bravo-Abad, F. J. García-Vidal, and L. Martín-Moreno, "Resonant transmission of light through finite chains of subwavelength holes in a metallic film," Phys. Rev. Lett. 93, 227401 (2004). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• R. H. Ritchie, E. T. Arakawa, J. J. Cowan and R. N. Hamm, "Surface-Plasmon Resonance Effect in Grating Diffraction," Phys. Rev. Lett. 21, 1530-1533 (1968). [CrossRef]
• B. Hecht, H. Bielefeldt, L. Novotny, Y. Inouye and D. W. Pohl, "Local Excitation, Scattering, and Interference of Surface Plasmons," Phys. Rev. Lett. 77, 1889-1892 (1996). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Z. Naturforsch. Teil A

• E. Kretschmann and H. Raether, "Radiative decay of non-radiative surface plasmons excited by light," Z. Naturforsch. Teil A 23, 2135-2136 (1963).

Other

• H. Raether, Surface Plasmons, Springer Tracts in Modern Physics, (Springer, Berlin, 1988) Vol 111.
• J. Magnes, D. Odera, J. Hartke, M. Fountain, L. Florence and V. Davis, "Quantitative and Qualitative Study of Gaussian Beam Visualization Techniques," http://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0605102.
• F. de León-Pérez, F. J. García-Vidal, and L. Martín-Moreno, to be published.

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