Long-range surface plasmon polaritons (LRSPPs) are optical surface waves that propagate along a thin symmetric metal slab or stripe over an appreciable length (centimeters). Vigorous interest in LRSPPs has stimulated a large number of studies over three decades spanning a broad topical landscape. Naturally, a good segment of the literature covers fundamentals such as modal characteristics, excitation, and field enhancement. But a large portion also involves the LRSPP in diverse phenomena, including nonlinear interactions, molecular scattering, fluorescence, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy, transmission through opaque metal films and emission extraction, amplification and lasing, surface characterization, metal roughness and islandization, optical interconnects and integrated structures, gratings, thermo-, electro- and magneto-optics, and (bio)chemical sensing. Despite the breadth and depth of the research conducted to date, much remains to be uncovered, and the scope for future investigations is broad. We review the properties of the LRSPP, survey the literature involving this wave, and discuss the prospects for applications. Avenues for further work are suggested.

The purely bound electromagnetic modes of propagation supported by symmetric wave guide structures comprised of a thin lossy metal film of finite width embedded in an infinite homogeneous dielectric have been characterized at optical wavelengths. The modes supported are divided into four families depending on the symmetry of their fields. In addition to the four fundamental modes that exist, numerous higher order ones are supported as well. A nomenclature suitable for identifying all modes is discussed. The dispersion of the modes with film thickness and width has been assessed and the effects of varying the background permittivity on the characteristics of the modes determined. The frequency dependence of one of the modes has been investigated. The higher order modes have a cutoff width, below which they are no longer propagated and some of the modes have a cutoff thickness. One of the fundamental modes supported by the structure exhibits very interesting characteristics and is potentially quite useful. It evolves with decreasing film thickness and width towards the transverse electromagnetic (TEM) wave supported by the background (an evolution similar to that exhibited by the $s_b$ mode in symmetric metal film slab wave guides), its losses and phase constant tending asymptotically towards those of the TEM wave. Attenuation values can be well below those of the $s_b$ mode supported by the corresponding metal film slab wave guide. Low mode power attenuation in the neighborhood of 10 to 0.1 dB/cm is achievable at optical communications wavelengths, with even lower values being possible. Carefully selecting the film’s thickness and width can make this mode the only long-ranging one supported. In addition, the mode can have a field distribution that renders it excitable using an end-fire approach. The existence of this mode renders the finite-width metal film wave guide attractive for applications requiring short propagation distances and two-dimensional field confinement in the transverse plane.

Phenomenological models for the internal quantum efficiency of Schottky barrier photodetectors suitable for the detection of optical radiation below the bandgap energy of the semiconductor are presented and discussed. The detection mechanism is internal photoemission from the metal film into the semiconductor substrate. Three detector configurations are considered: the first consists of a thick metal film on a semiconductor substrate forming a single Schottky barrier; the second consists of a thin metal film on a semiconductor substrate also forming a single Schottky barrier; and the third consists of a thin metal film buried in semiconductor and forming two Schottky barriers (one along each metal-semiconductor interface). In the three cases, illumination through the semiconductor substrate is assumed. The two thin-film configurations provide enhanced internal quantum efficiencies due to multiple hot carrier reflections within the metal film, with the double-barrier case providing the greatest enhancement due to emission over two barriers. The models proposed are based on assessing the emission probability of hot carriers as a function of their energy, taking into account multiple reflections within the metal film and energy losses due to internal scattering (e.g., with phonons and cold carriers). The thin-film single-barrier model was tested via comparisons with responsivity measurements reported in the literature for PtSi/p-Si and Pd₂Si/p-Si detectors.

The purely bound electromagnetic modes of propagation supported by asymmetric waveguide structures, comprised of a thin lossy metal film of finite width on a dielectric substrate and covered by a different dielectric superstrate, have been characterized at optical wavelengths. The dispersion of the modes with film thickness and width has been assessed and the effects caused by varying the difference between the superstrate and substrate dielectric constants on the characteristics of the modes have been determined. The modes are quite different from those supported by corresponding slab structures or similar finite-width symmetric waveguides. Unlike these limiting cases, the dispersion with film thickness can exhibit an unusual oscillatory character which is explained by a switching or swapping of the constituent interface modes. In addition, the four fundamental modes supported can evolve such that none has a diminishing attenuation with diminishing film thickness. This rather complex evolution of modes is unique to asymmetric finite-width structures. Under certain conditions, a long-ranging mode having a field distribution that is suitable to excitation using an end-fire technique can be supported. The long-ranging mode has a cutoff thickness below which it is no longer propagated, and its attenuation near cutoff decreases very rapidly, much more so than the attenuation related to the long-ranging mode in a comparable symmetric waveguide. Furthermore, its cutoff thickness is larger than that of the $s_b$ mode in the corresponding asymmetric slab waveguide, which implies that decreasing the film width increases the sensitivity of the mode to the asymmetry in the structure. This result is interesting and potentially useful in that the propagation characteristics of the mode can be affected by a smaller change in the dielectric constant of the substrate or superstrate compared with the $s_b$ mode guided by the corresponding slab structure.