## Far-field optical study of lithographically defined, subwavelength plasmonic wires on semiconducting substrates    [PDF]

Gregor Bracher, Konrad Schraml, Marcus Ossiander, Simon Frederick, Jonathan J. Finley, Michael Kaniber
We present an optical investigation of surface plasmon polaritons propagating along nanoscale Au-wires, lithographically defined on GaAs substrates. A two-axis confocal microscope was used to perform spatially and polarization resolved measurements and confirm the guiding of surface plasmon polaritons over lengths ranging from $5-20 \mu m$ along nanowires with a lateral dimension of only $\approx 100 nm$. Finite difference time domain simulations are used to corroborate our experimental observations and highlight the potential to couple proximal quantum dot emitters to propagating plasmon modes in such extreme sub-wavelength devices. Our findings are of strong relevance for the development of semiconductor based integrated plasmonic and active quantum plasmonic nanosystems that merge quantum emitters with nanoscale plasmonic elements.
View original: http://arxiv.org/abs/1307.7019