Improvement of femtosecond SPPs imaging by two-color laser photoemission electron microscopy

Clear imaging of surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) is a prerequisite for SPPs-based applications. In this work, we demonstrate an improvement of near-field imaging of SPPs via directly comparing the visibility of the photoemission electron microscopy (PEEM) image of SPPs under one- and two-color laser excitation (also known as one- or two-color laser PEEM). By measuring the photoelectron yield and the contrast of the interference fringes of SPPs, we demonstrate that in addition to enhancing the photoemission yield, two-color laser PEEM can significantly improve the contrast between bright and dark fringes (nearly 4 times higher than that of one-color laser case). By recording the nonlinear order of the photoelectrons ejected from the bright and dark fringes, respectively, the underlying mechanism for the improved visibility is revealed. In addition, the influences of the polarization direction of 400-nm laser on the PEEM images of the SPPs with different wave vector directions are shown. These results can provide technical support for the development of SPPs-based communication devices and catalysis.

Automated summary

In this work, the improvement of near-field imaging of surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) is demonstrated by comparing the visibility under different laser excitations. The underlying mechanism for the improved visibility is revealed, and the influence of laser polarization direction on the SPPs is shown.