398
P. Lalanne and H. Liu
After 100 years or more, research in the area of subwavelength metallic surfaces
and gratings continues unabated. This reflects the underlying importance of metal to
manipulate light. It is likely that this situation will continue. The use of interfaces
possessing complex subwavelength textures is really only beginning and the microscopic point of view presented here may help to understand and to design the surfaces.
It is hoped that this review will stimulate new ideas and lead to new research.
Acknowledgments Haitao Liu acknowledges financial supports from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 10804057), from the Cultivation Fund of the Key Scientific and
Technical Innovation Project, Ministry of Education of China (No. 708021), from the 973 Project
(No. 2007CB307001), and from the Natural Science Foundation of Tianjin (No. 11JCZDJC15400).
Jean Claude Rodier, Lionel Aigouy, Xiaoyan Yang, Jacques Giérak, Eric Bourhis, Christophe
Sauvan, Stéphane Collin, Lionel Jacobowiez and Jean Paul Hugonin are acknowledged for fruitful
discussions.
References
1. L. Aigouy, P. Lalanne, J.P. Hugonin, G. Julie, V. Mathet, M. Mortier, Near-field analysis of
surface waves launched at nanoslit apertures. Phys. Rev. Lett. 98, 153902 (2007)
2. A. Banos, Dipole Radiation in the Presence of a Conducting Half-Space (Pergamon Press,
Oxford, 1966)
3. W.L. Barnes, Topical review: fluorescence near interfaces: the role of photonic mode density.
J. Mod. Opt. 45, 661–699 (1998)
4. F. van Beijnum, C. Rétif, C.B. Smiet, H.T. Liu, P. Lalanne, M.P. van Exter, Quasi-Cylindrical
Wave Contribution in Experiments on Extraordinary Optical Transmission, Nature. 492, 411–
414 (2012)
5. L. Chen, J.T. Robinson, M. Lipson, Role of radiation and surface plasmon polaritons in the
optical interactions between a nano-slit and a nano-groove on a metal surface. Opt. Express
14, 12629 (2006)
6. R.E. Collin, Hertzian dipole radiating over a lossy earth or sea: some early and late 20th century
controversies. IEEE Antennas Prop. Mag. 46, 64 (2004)
7. W. Dai, C. Soukoulis, Theoretical analysis of the surface wave along a metal-dielectric interface.
Phys. Rev. B 80, 155407 (2009)
8. H. Ditlbacher, J.R. Krenn, G. Schider, A. Leitner, F.R. Aussenegg, Two-dimensional optics
with surface plasmon polaritons. Appl. Phys. Lett. 81, 1762–1764 (2002)
9. T.W. Ebbesen, H.J. Lezec, H.F. Ghaemi, T. Thio, P.A. Wolff, Extraordinary optical transmission
through subwavelength hole arrays. Nature 391, 667–669 (1998)
10. U. Fano, The theory of anomalous diffraction gratings and of quasi-stationary waves on metallic
surfaces (Sommerfeld’s waves). J. Opt. Soc. Am. 31, 213–222 (1941)
11. G. Gay, O. Alloschery, B. Viaris de Lesegno, C. O’Dwyer, J. Weiner, and H.J. Lezec, The optical
response of nanostructured surfaces and the composite diffracted evanescent wave model. Nat.
Phys. 2, 262–267 (2006)
12. X. Huang, M.L. Brongersma, Rapid computation of light scattering from aperiodic plasmonic
structures. Phys. Rev. B 84, 245120 (2011)
13. P. Lalanne, J.P. Hugonin, Interaction between optical nano-objects at metallo-dielectric interfaces. Nat. Phys. 2, 551–556 (2006)
14. P. Lalanne, J.P. Hugonin, H.T. Liu, B. Wang, A microscopic view of the electromagnetic
properties of sub-λ metallic surfaces. Surf. Sci. Rep. 64, 453–469 (2009)
15. G.Y. Li, F. Xiao, L. Cai, K. Alameh, A.S. Xu, Theory of the scattering of light and surface
plasmon polaritons by finite-size subwavelength metallic defects via field decomposition. New
J. Phys. 13, 073045 (2011)
P. Lalanne and H. Liu
After 100 years or more, research in the area of subwavelength metallic surfaces
and gratings continues unabated. This reflects the underlying importance of metal to
manipulate light. It is likely that this situation will continue. The use of interfaces
possessing complex subwavelength textures is really only beginning and the microscopic point of view presented here may help to understand and to design the surfaces.
It is hoped that this review will stimulate new ideas and lead to new research.
Acknowledgments Haitao Liu acknowledges financial supports from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 10804057), from the Cultivation Fund of the Key Scientific and
Technical Innovation Project, Ministry of Education of China (No. 708021), from the 973 Project
(No. 2007CB307001), and from the Natural Science Foundation of Tianjin (No. 11JCZDJC15400).
Jean Claude Rodier, Lionel Aigouy, Xiaoyan Yang, Jacques Giérak, Eric Bourhis, Christophe
Sauvan, Stéphane Collin, Lionel Jacobowiez and Jean Paul Hugonin are acknowledged for fruitful
discussions.
References
1. L. Aigouy, P. Lalanne, J.P. Hugonin, G. Julie, V. Mathet, M. Mortier, Near-field analysis of
surface waves launched at nanoslit apertures. Phys. Rev. Lett. 98, 153902 (2007)
2. A. Banos, Dipole Radiation in the Presence of a Conducting Half-Space (Pergamon Press,
Oxford, 1966)
3. W.L. Barnes, Topical review: fluorescence near interfaces: the role of photonic mode density.
J. Mod. Opt. 45, 661–699 (1998)
4. F. van Beijnum, C. Rétif, C.B. Smiet, H.T. Liu, P. Lalanne, M.P. van Exter, Quasi-Cylindrical
Wave Contribution in Experiments on Extraordinary Optical Transmission, Nature. 492, 411–
414 (2012)
5. L. Chen, J.T. Robinson, M. Lipson, Role of radiation and surface plasmon polaritons in the
optical interactions between a nano-slit and a nano-groove on a metal surface. Opt. Express
14, 12629 (2006)
6. R.E. Collin, Hertzian dipole radiating over a lossy earth or sea: some early and late 20th century
controversies. IEEE Antennas Prop. Mag. 46, 64 (2004)
7. W. Dai, C. Soukoulis, Theoretical analysis of the surface wave along a metal-dielectric interface.
Phys. Rev. B 80, 155407 (2009)
8. H. Ditlbacher, J.R. Krenn, G. Schider, A. Leitner, F.R. Aussenegg, Two-dimensional optics
with surface plasmon polaritons. Appl. Phys. Lett. 81, 1762–1764 (2002)
9. T.W. Ebbesen, H.J. Lezec, H.F. Ghaemi, T. Thio, P.A. Wolff, Extraordinary optical transmission
through subwavelength hole arrays. Nature 391, 667–669 (1998)
10. U. Fano, The theory of anomalous diffraction gratings and of quasi-stationary waves on metallic
surfaces (Sommerfeld’s waves). J. Opt. Soc. Am. 31, 213–222 (1941)
11. G. Gay, O. Alloschery, B. Viaris de Lesegno, C. O’Dwyer, J. Weiner, and H.J. Lezec, The optical
response of nanostructured surfaces and the composite diffracted evanescent wave model. Nat.
Phys. 2, 262–267 (2006)
12. X. Huang, M.L. Brongersma, Rapid computation of light scattering from aperiodic plasmonic
structures. Phys. Rev. B 84, 245120 (2011)
13. P. Lalanne, J.P. Hugonin, Interaction between optical nano-objects at metallo-dielectric interfaces. Nat. Phys. 2, 551–556 (2006)
14. P. Lalanne, J.P. Hugonin, H.T. Liu, B. Wang, A microscopic view of the electromagnetic
properties of sub-λ metallic surfaces. Surf. Sci. Rep. 64, 453–469 (2009)
15. G.Y. Li, F. Xiao, L. Cai, K. Alameh, A.S. Xu, Theory of the scattering of light and surface
plasmon polaritons by finite-size subwavelength metallic defects via field decomposition. New
J. Phys. 13, 073045 (2011)