Enhanced rotation of the polarization of a light beam transmitted through a silver film with an array of perforated S-shaped holes.

Abstract

In this Letter, we realized an enhanced optical rotation of the zero-order transmitted light through a silver film with an array of perforated S-shaped holes. Different from the previous studies, this effect results from the contribution of both the localized surface plasmons and surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs). The rotation angle can be modulated with the thickness due to the phase retardation of the SPPs when tunneling to the emitted surface. With a sample thickness 245 nm, a near-complete cross-polarization conversion (90° optical rotation) can be achieved, representing a major advance in performance compared to the previously reported planar chiral structures.