The excitation of terahertz-range surface plasmons by frustrated total internal reflection through the substrate

Герасимов В.В., Жижин Г.Н., Князев Б.А., Никитин А.К. Возбуждение поверхностных плазмонов терагерцового диапазона методом нарушенного полного внутреннего отражения через подложку // Оптический журнал. 2010. Т. 77. № 8. С. 3–7.

Gerasimov V.V., Zhizhin G.N., Knyazev B.A., Nikitin A.K. The excitation of terahertz-range surface plasmons by frustrated total internal reflection through the substrate [in Russian] // Opticheskii Zhurnal. 2010. V. 77. № 8. P. 3–7.

V. V. Gerasimov, G. N. Zhizhin, A. K. Nikitin, and B. A. Knyazev, "The excitation of terahertz-range surface plasmons by frustrated total internal reflection through the substrate," Journal of Optical Technology. 77(8), 465-468 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1364/JOT.77.000465

A method of exciting surface plasmons in the terahertz range using the Kretschmann layout of the frustrated total internal reflection method is proposed and tested. The method involves making the illuminated part of the metallic layer transparent, with its thickness smoothly increasing in the direction in which the radiation propagates. This makes it possible to excite terahertz-range surface plasmons without the incident radiation simultaneously generating parasitic diffraction satellites of these plasmons. The SNR in terahertz surface spectroscopy and plasmon sensor devices is increased by using this method. Experiments to test the method have been carried out on gold, using the radiation of the Novosibirsk free-electron laser.

The research was supported by state contract No. П1132 of Federal special purpose program "Scientific and academic staff of innovative Russia" and Integration grant of the Siberian branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences No. 89. The authors are thankful to N.A. Vinokurov, G.N. Kulipanov and M.A. Shcheglov for the support of the work and the operators of free-electron laser M.G. Vlasenko, Ya.V. Getmanov, T.V. Salikova and O.A. Shevchenko for the performing of the experiments.