Excitation of nonlinear surface polaritons supported by a metal–vacuum interface

Abstract

The dynamics of the excitation of nonlinear surface polaritons is investigated by using a perturbation theory that employs multiple time and space scales. The surface polariton is supported by an interface between free-electron metal and vacuum. Both the grating and the prism excitations are treated, and they are governed by canonical equations of the same form. The effects of the self-modulation of the surface polariton and the finite extent of the grating and the prism are taken into account. The intensity dependence of the input characteristics, typical of nonlinear excitation, is discussed.