Abstract

We numerically investigate plasmon-resonance absorption of incident light energy by a bisinusoidal metal grating, i.e., one whose surface profile is sinusoidally corrugated in two orthogonal directions with a common period. Employing Yasuura’s modal expansion method, we solve the problem of plane-wave diffraction by the grating and evaluate the absorption, which is observed as dips in diffraction efficiency curves. We examine the field distribution and energy flow in detail at the angles of incidence at which the absorption occurs. We show that the absorption is caused by coupling of the TM component of an evanescent order with surface plasmons. A phase-matching condition is used in the prediction of the incident angle at which the absorption occurs. This, together with the field profile in the presence of the resonance absorption, explains the mechanism of the absorption. We then illustrate interesting features of the absorption: enhancement of polarization conversion between the incident light and the reflected light and simultaneous excitation of two plasmon waves in directions that are symmetric with respect to the plane of incidence.

© 2002 Optical Society of America

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