Surface plasmon polaritons light radiation source with asymmetrical structure

An asymmetrical surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) light radiation source with double metal films (SPLRD) is presented and studied. SPPs modes can be excited on the double metal films by a parallel traveling electron beam and then transformed into enhanced Cherenkov radiation in the substrate. Tunable dual-frequency radiation ranging from infrared to ultraviolet can be realized. In comparison with a single-metal-film structure, the efficiency, tunability, and output power density of the SPLRD are greatly increased, with up to eight times higher radiation power intensity being achievable. The radiation performance of a cylindrical SPLRD is enhanced to an even greater extent, with reductions in the required exciting electron-beam energy and the dielectric substrate permittivity. These novel properties due to the asymmetry of the structure and the SPPs excitation pattern are significant for furthering the understanding of electron beam–SPPs interaction and for the development of efficient wideband light radiation sources.