A resonance phenomenon in the zeroth diffraction order of a gold-wire grating is explained by the excitation of surface polaritons. This effect is connected with a strong enhancement of the electromagnetic fields on the wire surface and consequently with a peak of power losses in the grating material. Measurements of the zeroth-order transmittance have been performed on gold gratings with periods of 1 and 2 micrometers in the near-infrared region which are in agreement with theoretical results. Furthermore, dispersion relations of the first-order coupling mode are presented having large energy gaps in the center of the Brillouin zone. It is shown that this energy gap strongly depends on the wire profile. In this coupling branch, however, practically no dispersion could be observed for optical wavelengths less than the grating period.

• Received 4 March 1994

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.50.4795