Long-range plasmons and epsilon-near-zero modes in ultraviolet

Abstract

We theoretically investigate the propagation of surface plasmon polaritons excited by UV light in a thin layer of aluminum. It is shown that for a sufficiently thin metal layer and appropriate selection of surrounding material, considerable propagation distances are possible. Moreover, we demonstrate that plasmons on the Al-In interface can exhibit a near-zero index of refraction—a property normally achievable only in metamaterials operating in the infrared to visible part of the spectrum.