Thermal Excitation of Broadband and Long-range Surface Waves on SiO 2 Submicron Films

TL;DR

This study demonstrates the thermal excitation of broadband, long-range surface waves on submicron SiO2 films, revealing their potential for near-field optical and thermal applications due to their spectral broadness and millimeter-scale propagation.

Contribution

It provides the first experimental detection of hybrid thermal-electromagnetic surface waves, including Zenneck, guided modes, and Surface Phonon Polaritons, on submicron SiO2 layers.

Findings

Surface waves propagate up to millimeter distances.

Detected hybrid modes include Zenneck and guided waves.

Waves exhibit broad spectral range from near to far infrared.

Abstract

We detect thermally excited surfaces waves on a submicron SiO 2 layer, including Zenneck and guided modes in addition to Surface Phonon Polaritons. The measurements show the existence of these hybrid thermal-electromagnetic waves from near-(2.7 $\mu$m) to far-(11.2 $\mu$m) infrared. Their propagation distances reach values on the order of the millimeter, several orders of magnitude larger than on semi-infinite systems. These two features, spectral broadness and long range propagation, make these waves good candidates for near-field applications both in optics and thermics due to their dual nature.