Huge local field enhancement in perfect plasmonic absorbers

In this work we theoretically reveal the huge local field enhancement in a so-called perfect plasmonic absorber. We study the power absorption of light in a planar grid modelled as an effective sheet with zero optical thickness. The key prerequisite of the total absorption is the simultaneous presence of both resonant electric and magnetic modes in the structure. We show that the needed level of the magnetic mode is achievable using the effect of substrate-induced bianisotropy. On the microscopic level this bianisotropy is a factor which results in the huge local field enhancement at the same wavelength where the maximal absorption holds. (C) 2012 Optical Society of America