Sculptured-thin-film plasmonic-polaritonics

TL;DR

This paper investigates how the phase speed of surface-plasmon-polariton waves can be controlled by the fabrication parameters of sculptured thin films, offering potential for engineered plasmonic devices.

Contribution

It introduces a boundary-value problem solution showing phase speed dependence on vapor incidence angle and its periodic variation during STF fabrication.

Findings

Phase speed depends on vapor incidence angle.

Periodic variation can engineer phase speed.

Higher mean and modulation amplitude influence phase speed.

Abstract

The solution of a boundary--value problem formulated for the Kretschmann configuration shows that the phase speed of a surface--plasmon--polariton (SPP) wave guided by the planar interface of a sufficiently thin metal film and a sculptured thin film (STF) depends on the vapor incidence angle used while fabricating the STF by physical vapor deposition. Furthermore, it may be possible to engineer the phase speed by periodically varying the vapor incidence angle. The phase speed of the SPP wave can be set by selecting higher mean value and/or the modulation amplitude of the vapor incidence angle.