Nano-optical elements for surface plasmon waves (50th anniversary of the Institute of Spectroscopy, Russian Academy of Sciences)

The main results obtained recently at the Laboratory of Laser Spectroscopy, Institute of Spectroscopy of the Russian Academy of Sciences in researching and developing various 2D optical elements for surface plasmon waves and their characterization using near- and far-field methods are presented. They include an optical medium for plasmon waves, a plasmon interferometer, a parabolic mirror for focusing plasmon waves, a dielectrically loaded plasmon-polariton waveguide, a plasmon nanolaser based on a plasmonic crystal, and a plasmon sensor of fluorescent biomarkers. lenses, mirrors, detectors, interferometers, waveguides, and lasers. We show that state-of-the-art techniques for the development of plasmon optics elements, which are based on utilizing single-crystal ultrahigh quality metal surfaces, enable us to come closer to the theoretically predicted characteristics of these elements.