Polarization stokes polarimetry of the amplitude and phase characteristics of surface plasmon polariton resonance

Abstract

The amplitude and phase characteristics of internal reflection of gold nanofilms have been investigated using polarization modulation of electromagnetic radiation in the Kretschmann geometry. The component Q (the difference between the reflection coefficients Rs2 and Rp2 for the s and p polarizations, respectively) and the component V of the Stokes vector (the difference between the phases of the orthogonal components of linearly polarized radiation) of light reflected from a half-cylinder of the total internal reflection with gold films of different thicknesses on its flat surface have been measured as a function of the angle of incidence of light in the wavelength range 500–1000 nm. It has been demonstrated that, in the range of parameters corresponding to the manifestation of the plasmon polariton resonance (the angle of incidence of light, the wavelength, the metal film thickness), the dispersions of the amplitude and phase characteristics are in quantitative and qualitative agreement with the model concepts of a classical oscillator.