Surface-plasmon-assisted resonant tunneling of light through a periodically corrugated thin metal film

We present experimental results and a numerical model confirming that surface plasmons can resonantly enhance light transmission through a corrugated metal film. A new interpretation in terms of plasmon-assisted light tunneling is given to recent experiments on light penetration through periodic subwavelength holes in a thin metal film. We designed a narrow-band filter suitable for applications in optical communication by optimizing the film and the grating parameters. (C) 2000 Optical Society of America.