Stimulated emission of surface plasmon polaritons

TL;DR

This paper reports the first observation of laser-like stimulated emission of surface plasmon polaritons, achieved through optically pumped molecules in a polymer film on silver, with potential applications in nanoplasmonic devices.

Contribution

It demonstrates stimulated emission of SPPs with a clear threshold and spectral narrowing, advancing plasmonic laser technology.

Findings

Observation of laser-like SPP emission with a threshold.

Spectral narrowing indicating stimulated emission.

Potential for loss compensation in plasmonic devices.

Abstract

We have observed laser-like emission of surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) decoupled to the glass prism in an attenuated total reflection setup. SPPs were excited by optically pumped molecules in a polymeric film deposited on the top of the silver film. Stimulated emission was characterized by a distinct threshold in the input-output dependence and narrowing of the emission spectrum. The observed stimulated emission and corresponding to it compensation of the metallic absorption loss by gain enables many applications of metamaterials and nanoplasmonic devices.