Elementary properties of surface polaritons

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The properties of polaritons which exist at the plane boundary between two isotropic dielectric media, one of which has a negative relative permittivity for part of the frequency range, are investigated by classical electromagnetic theory. The energy flow, density and velocity of the surface polariton are derived. The quantum-mechanical vector-potential operators in the two media are expressed in terms of surface-polariton creation and destruction operators. The thermal fluctuations in surface electric fields are determined, and the frequency-dependent relaxation rates of the surface polaritons are derived; the main concern is with polaritons which are mixtures of photons with optic phonons, but the photon-plasmon type of polariton is also discussed as a special case.