Transmission of molecular fluorescence through a thin metal film by surface plasmons

Abstract

We examine the use of surface plasmons to mediate the transport of molecular fluorescence across a corrugated thin metal film deposited onto a luminescent material. We find that for a given wavelength component, the amount of fluorescence reradiated by the long-range surface plasmon into a narrow angular range can be as large as ∼ 30% of that emitted isotropically into the medium above the sample in the absence of the metal layer.