Optical response of thin nanocomposite films with transverse inhomogeneity

Abstract

In-plane homogenization, taking into account inhomogeneity in distribution of nanoinclusions across the film thickness, was performed within the framework of self-consistent approach based on the concept of effective susceptibility and the Green function method. We apply this approach to obtain the optical response of films consisting of metal nanoparticles in a dielectric matrix that exhibits plasmonic absorption. We have calculated the absorption spectra of nanocomposite films with gold spheroidal inclusions in Teflon matrix at a silicon substrate for several different transversal distributions of inclusions, maintaining a constant inclusion volume fraction. The absorption dependence on the light polarization and incidence angle, as well as on the shape of inclusions and their orientation is also under study. From the absorption maps we have extracted dispersion curves for plasmon-polariton resonances in the nanocomposite films.