Surface electromagnetic waves on layered systems with damping

The dispersion curves, propagation distances, and Poynting vectors of surface electromagnetic waves propagating on a system of Cu-${\mathrm{Cu}}_2$O-air with variable film thickness have been calculated using the full dispersion realation including damping. Double-dip structure in the propagation distance for intermediately thick overlayers, the shifting of one dip below ${\sigma }_{\mathrm{TO}}$, and the presence of the other dip at ${\sigma }_{\mathrm{LO}}$ are explained in terms of features of the dispersion curve. The complete Poynting-vector calculations show that predictions of field bunching at ${\sigma }_{\mathrm{LO}}$ are probably in error.