On the propagation of surface plasmon polaritons at the interface of low-dimensional acoustic metamaterials

Abstract

As a novel type of artificial media created recently, metamaterials demonstrate novel performance and consequently pave the way for potential applications in the area of practical engineering in comparison with the conventional materials. Acoustic metamaterials and phononic crystals possess a wide variety of exceptional physical features. These include effective negative parameters, band gaps, negative refraction, etc. Doing so, the acoustic properties of existing materials are extended. Acoustic metamaterials are periodic structures with the effective properties that can be tuned seeking for the dramatic control on wave propagation. Homogenization of the infinite periodic system is needed aiming to calculate permittivity of metamaterial. Dispersion properties of surface waves propagating at the interface between a nanocomposite made of a semiconductor inclusions systematically distributed in a transparent matrix and lowdimensional acoustic metamaterial, constructed by an array of nanowires implanted in a host material are investigated. We observed propagation of surface plasmon polaritons. It is demonstrated that one may dramatically modify properties of the system by tuning the geometry of inclusions.