Abstract

The resonances associated with the coupling of light into a surface plasmon propagating along a metal surface are exceedingly sharp and narrow as a function of incidence angle. The fields associated with the wave directly at the metal surface are high, and so the plasmon propagation is strongly affected by even slight changes in the surface conditions; this causes changes in the resonances. These changes can then be used as indicators of altering surface conditions. The growth of tarnish layers, the stability of coatings, and the degree of surface contamination are some of the effects that have been studied in this way .1,2

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