Coupling of higher-mode-light into a single sliver nanowire

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that higher-order light modes can be efficiently coupled into a single sliver nanowire with polarization control, revealing that nanowire waveguides are mode-agnostic and that surface plasmon modes are not OAM eigenstates.

Contribution

It shows polarization-controlled coupling of higher-order modes into nanowires and clarifies the nature of surface plasmon modes in silver nanowires.

Findings

Coupling efficiency is controlled by light polarization.

Nanowire waveguides do not require specific spatial modes.

Surface plasmon modes are not OAM eigenstates.

Abstract

Coupling of higher-order-mode light into a single sliver nanowire and the degree of the coupling can be controlled by adjusting the light polarization, showing that nanowire waveguide has no request on the spatial mode of the input light. Photons with different orbital angular momentums (OAM) are used to excite surface plasmons of silver nanowires. The experiment indicates the propagating modes of surface plasmons in nanowires were not the OAM eignenstates.