Journal Article

Conformal surface plasmons propagating on ultrathin and flexible films

Martin-Cano, Diego, Shen, Xiaopeng, Garcia-Vidal, Francisco J., Cui, Tie Jun

2013

Overview

Surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) are localized surface electromagnetic waves that propagate along the interface between a metal and a dielectric. Owing to their inherent subwavelength confinement SPPs have a strong potential to become building blocks of a type of photonic circuitry built up on 2D metal surfaces; however, SPPs are difficult to control on curved surfaces conformably and flexibly to produce advanced functional devices. Here we propose the concept of conformai surface plasmons (CSPs), surface plasmon waves that can propagate on ultrathin and flexible films to long distances in a wide broadband range from microwave to mid-infrared frequencies. We present the experimental realization of these CSPs in the microwave regime on paper-like dielectric films with a thickness 600-fold smaller than the operating wavelength. The flexible paper-like films can be bent, folded, and even twisted to mold the flow of CSPs.

• Publisher: National Academy of Sciences
• Subject: Applied Physical Sciences / Bending / Dielectrics / Electric fields / Electromagnetic Radiation / Electromagnetics / Foams / Infrared radiation / Material films / Metal strips / Metals / Metals - chemistry / Microwaves / Optics and Photonics - instrumentation / Optics and Photonics - methods / Photonics / Physical Sciences / Plasmons / Power lines / Propagation / Surface Plasmon Resonance - instrumentation / Thin films / Wavelengths