Microscopic analysis of the energy, momentum, and spin distributions in a surface plasmon-polariton wave

A. Y. Bekshaev, O. V. Angelsky, J. Zheng, S. G. Hanson, C.Y.U. Zenkova

    Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

    81 Downloads (Orbit)

    Abstract

    We analyze the electromagnetic field near a plane interface between a conductive and a dielectric media, under conditions supporting surface plasmon-polariton (SPP) propagation. The conductive medium is described by the hydrodynamic electron-gas model that enables a consistent analysis of the field-induced variations of the electron density and velocity at the interface and its nearest vicinity. The distributions of electromagnetic dynamical characteristics: energy, energy flow, spin and momentum are calculated analytically and illustrated numerically, employing silver-vacuum interface as an example. A set of the “field” and material contributions to the energy, spin and momentum are explicitly identified and classified with respect to their physical origins and properties, and the orbital (canonical) and spin (Belinfante) momentum constituents are separately examined. In this context, a procedure for the spin-orbital momentum decomposition in the presence of free charges is proposed and substantiated. The microscopic results agree with the known phenomenological data but additionally show specific nanoscale structures in the near-interface behavior of the SPP energy and momentum, which can be deliberately created, controlled and used in nanotechnology applications.

    Original languageEnglish
    JournalOptical Materials Express
    Volume11
    Issue number7
    Pages (from-to)2165-2191
    ISSN2159-3930
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 1 Jul 2021

    Bibliographical note

    Funding Information:
    Funding. Research Institute of Zhejiang University?Taizhou, Center for Modern Optical Technology; Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine.

    Publisher Copyright:
    © 2021 Optical Society of America under the terms of the OSA Open Access Publishing Agreement

    Fingerprint

    Dive into the research topics of 'Microscopic analysis of the energy, momentum, and spin distributions in a surface plasmon-polariton wave'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

    Cite this