The marriage of plasmonics, magnetism, acoustics and ultrafast optics

Abstract

Surface plasmon polaritons (SPP or SP) are electromagnetic waves propagating along metal dielectric interfaces and existing over a wide range of frequencies. They have become popular because of their sub-wavelength confinement and the possibility to perform ultrasensitive optical measurements. Driven by tremendous progress in nanofabrication techniques and ultrafast laser technologies the applications of SP nanooptics extend beyond the border of nanoplasmonics. Here we review how using novel hybrid multilayer structures combining different functionalities allows to develop active plasmonic devices and new metrologies. Magneto-plasmonics, acousto-plasmonics and generation of high-energy photoelectrons using ultrashort SP pulses represent a few examples how the combination of ideas developed in the individual subfields can be used to generate new knowledge suggesting plenty of exciting applications in nanophotonics.