Asymmetric transmission of surface plasmon polaritons on planar gratings

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates a planar grating structure that exhibits asymmetric transmission of surface plasmon polaritons, controllable by structural parameters, with potential applications in plasmonic devices.

Contribution

It introduces a novel metal-air interface design that achieves asymmetric SPP transmission through Bragg beam suppression and diffraction control.

Findings

Asymmetric transmittance observed for SPPs from opposite sides.

Zero-order Bragg beam suppression enables asymmetry.

Transmission contrast can be tuned by structural parameters.

Abstract

We describe a surface structure consisting of a metal-air interface where the metallic part consists of two metallic segments with a periodic modulation of the interface between them. Such a structure possesses a different transmissivity for a surface plasmon polariton incident on it from one side of it than it has for a surface plasmon polariton incident on it from the opposite side. This asymmetric transmission of a surface plasmon polariton is based on the suppression of the zero-order Bragg beam which, for a certain value of the modulation depth, is not transmitted through the structure, while the diffraction efficiencies of the +1 and -1 Bragg beams can be modified by varying the period of grating and/or the angle of incidence. For a certain range of the incidence angle one can observe asymmetry in transmittance for the -1 mode while the +1 mode is completely suppressed. By varying the material and geometrical parameters of the diffractive structure one can control the contrast transmission that characterizes the degree of the asymmetry. This property of the structure is demonstrated by the results of computer simulation calculations.