Charge-oscillation-induced light transmission through subwavelength slits and holes

Journal Article · Sat Sep 15 00:00:00 EDT 2007 · Physical Review. A

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVA.76.035802· OSTI ID:21020619

Huang, X R ^[1]; Peng, R W; Wang, Z; Gao, F; Jiang, S S ^[2]

---

1. Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439 (United States)
2. National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093 (China)

We present a concrete picture of spoof surface plasmons (SSPs) combined with cavity resonance to clarify the basic mechanism underlying extraordinary light transmission through metal films with subwavelength slits or holes. This picture may indicate a general mechanism of metallic nanostructure optics: When light is incident on a nonplanar conducting surface, the free electrons cannot move homogeneously in response to the incident electric field, i.e., their movement can be impeded at the rough parts, forming inhomogeneous charge distributions. The oscillating charges and dipoles then emit photons (similar to Thomson scattering of x rays by oscillating electrons), and the interference between the photons may give rise to anomalous transmission, reflection, or scattering.

• OSTI ID: 21020619
• Journal Information: Physical Review. A, Vol. 76, Issue 3; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevA.76.035802; (c) 2007 The American Physical Society; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1050-2947
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
CHARGE DISTRIBUTION
DIFFRACTION GRATINGS
DIPOLES
ELECTRIC FIELDS
ELECTRONS
FILMS
INTERFERENCE
LIGHT TRANSMISSION
METALS
NANOSTRUCTURES
OPTICS
OSCILLATIONS
PHOTONS
PLASMONS
REFLECTION
SURFACES
THIN FILMS
THOMSON SCATTERING
WAVE PROPAGATION
X RADIATION