Laser-based 2D and 3D nanomanufacturing for plasmonic applications

Growing interest in the field of surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) comes from a rapid advance of nanostructuring technologies. The application of two-photon polymerisation technique for the fabrication of dielectric and metallic SPP-structures, which can be used for localisation, guiding, and manipulation of SPP waves on a subwavelength scale are studied. This technology is based on non-linear absorption of near-infrared femtosecond laser pulses. Excitation, propagation, and interaction of SPP waves with nanostructures are controlled and studied by leakage radiation imaging. It is demonstrated that created nanostructures are very efficient for the excitation and focusing of SPPs on the metal film. Examples of passive and active SPP components are presented and discussed.