Coupling a single dipole to a long-range surface plasmon device.

Embedding a thin layer of a noble metal between two symmetric media results in the hybridization of the surface plasmons, leading to the existence of a long-range surface plasmon (LRSP). In this Letter, we investigate numerically the coupling of a single dipole, as a probe, to this LRSP. Different de-excitation channels are available such as free space radiation and plasmonic modes in different proportions. In a more realistic approach, with finite layers, guided modes in the dielectric may also be excited. The study of the local density of optical states allows us to separate, identify, and reconstruct the different modes. The critical role of the orientation as well as the position of the dipole leads to an interplay between the LRSP and the guided modes. The coupling efficiency with these modes is evaluated. Besides providing a deep understanding of a LRSP in realistic devices, these results could be used as guidelines for future optoelectronic device designs.