Abstract
We investigate theoretically the excitation of surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) by difference-frequency generation on a planar air-gold interface. Calculations are presented for three SPP wavelengths: 1.55 m, 1.00 m, and 750 nm (free-space values). The predicted conversion efficiency, optimized with respect to the angles of incidence of the two -polarized laser pumps, increases by two orders of magnitude, from at the telecom wavelength to at 750 nm. The latter value is four orders of magnitude larger than the recently reported experimental value for SPP excitation at 633 nm by four-wave mixing. Higher conversion efficiency is expected at shorter SPP wavelengths before the efficiency will drop in the reflection edge of gold.
- Received 16 January 2012
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.85.155442
©2012 American Physical Society