OPTICAL-EXCITATION OF SURFACE PLASMA-WAVES IN AN INDIUM FILM BOUNDED BY DIELECTRIC LAYERS

The method of attenuated total reflection (ATR) was used to excite optically surface plasma waves (SPWs) in thin indium films. Three successive layers of MgF2/In/MgF2 were evaporated onto the base of a glass prism which had a high refractive index. Continous thin films of indium were obtained by maintaining the substrate at liquid nitrogen temperature during deposition. The ATR angular spectra and associated resonant oscillations were studied at three different wavelengths in the visible region and good agreement was obtained between the experimental and the calculated spectra. The symmetric SPW of the indium film was more highly attenuated than the antisymmetric SPW. Owing to the high damping of the plasma in indium only the antisymmetric SPW could be excited via an optical reflectance resonance when the indium slab was isolated by thick dielectric layers. With thinner bounding dielectrics two SPW-type resonances were observed. Complete calculations of the magnetic field oscillations within the variousmedia, as well as calculations of the current distributions and surface charge densities of the indium film, showed resonant oscillations of mixed symmetry. © 1979.