Surface Plasmon Polaritons on Metallic Surfaces

A theoretical study of surface plasmon polaritons on flat metallic surfaces and interfaces is undertaken to clarify the nature of these electromagnetic waves, conditions under which they are launched, and the restrictions imposed by Maxwell's equations that ultimately determine the strength of the excited plasmons. Finite difference time domain (FDTD) computer simulations are used to provide a clear picture of the electromagnetic field distribution and the energy flow profile in each of the cases studied.