Controlling Surface Plasmon Polaritons Propagating at the Boundary of Low-Dimensional Acoustic Metamaterials

Thanos Ioannidis,Tatjana Gric,Edik Rafailov

doi:10.3390/app11146302

Abstract

As a novel type of artificial media created recently, metamaterials demonstrate novel performance and consequently pave the way for potential applications in the area of functional engineering in comparison to the conventional substances. Acoustic metamaterials and plasmonic structures possess a wide variety of exceptional physical features. These include effective negative properties, band gaps, negative refraction, etc. In doing so, the acoustic behaviour of conventional substances is extended. Acoustic metamaterials are considered as the periodic composites with effective parameters that might be engineered with the aim to dramatically control the propagation of supported waves. Homogenization of the system under consideration should be performed to seek the calculation of metamaterial permittivity. The dispersion behaviour of surface waves propagating from the boundary of a nanocomposite composed of semiconductor enclosures that are systematically distributed in a transparent matrix and low-dimensional acoustic metamaterial and constructed by an array of nanowires implanted in a host material are studied. We observed the propagation of surface plasmon polaritons. It is demonstrated that one may dramatically modify the properties of the system by tuning the geometry of inclusions.

Highlights

Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations
Hyperbolic metamaterials represent a multi-functional platform providing a fertile ground for the realization of waveguiding, imaging, sensing, quantum, and thermal engineering outside the scope of conventional devices
These novel composites utilize the notion of tuning the fundamental dispersion relation of surface plasmon polaritons aiming to generate exceptional electromagnetic modes with a wide spectrum of applications

Summary

Introduction

Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Hyperbolic metamaterials represent a multi-functional platform providing a fertile ground for the realization of waveguiding, imaging, sensing, quantum, and thermal engineering outside the scope of conventional devices These novel composites utilize the notion of tuning the fundamental dispersion relation of surface plasmon polaritons aiming to generate exceptional electromagnetic modes with a wide spectrum of applications. The investigations of surface waves and plasmonics represent an additional inherent part of nanophotonics The former provide a fertile ground aiming to lower the length scales and dimensionality of a wide range of electromagnetic phenomena. It is worthwhile to note that inclusions of the composites are fulfilled by the TCOs, making a stronger case towards implementation the properties of possible devices It should be mentioned, that in the present work we, deal with the spoof SPPs. Natural SPPs only exist at optical frequencies. We end up with the concept of “designer” surface modes

Theoretical Approach

Results

Conclusions