Plasmon-polariton at the interface of a uniaxial crystal and a metal: real dispersion equation and its analysis

An analytical description of the plasmon polariton localized at the arbitrarily oriented interface of a uniaxial crystal and an isotropic metal is discussed. A compact real form of the general dispersion equation determining the basic wave properties is obtained. The solutions of this equation are analyzed for the particular orientations of the sagittal plane and interface. An approximate solution of the dispersion equation is developed on the basis of the iteration method, which has proved to be effective even for the general case of an arbitrary interface orientation. General relations of the theory are specified for a series of crystals.