Surface Plasmon Nanooptics in Plasmonic Band Gap Structures: Interference of Polarization Controlled Surface Waves in the Near Field

Abstract

Nanoscopic emission from periodic nano-hole arrays in thick metal films is studied experimentally. The experiments give direct evidence for SP excitations in such structures. We show that the symmetry of the emission is governed by polarization and its shape is defined the interference of SP waves of different diffraction orders. Near-Held pattern analysis combined with the far-Held reflection and transmission measurements suggests that the SP eigenmodes of these arrays may be understood as those of ionic plasmon molecules.