Abstract

Surface plasmon polaritons are electromagnetic waves that propagate at the interface between a metal and a dielectric. By engineering the plasmonic waveguide geometry, the plasmon dispersion can be dramatically varied. We will demonstrate how surface plasmons can be concentrated along metal nanotapers, reaching hot spots with dimensions well below < λ/10. Using suitably engineered metal-insulator-metal (MIM) structures the plasmon wavelength can be shrunk to well below 100 nm. And in suitably engineered MIM geometries plasmons have a negative index of refraction, leading to the design of novel metamaterials.

© 2009 IEEE