Skulls in the Stars

Author: skullsinthestars

This author has written 825 articles

Optics basics: surface plasmons

Optics basics

My goal in my “basics” series of posts is not just to introduce the most elementary topics in optical science, but also to give background on some of the more advanced concepts for future reference. Much of my own research, and consequently my blog interests, center on nano-optics — the study of the behavior of light on scales much smaller than the wavelength of light — and one specific aspect of nano-optics that has grown tremendously in importance over the past ten years is the concept of a surface plasmon.

Broadly speaking, a surface plasmon is a traveling wave oscillation of electrons that can be excited in the surface of certain metals with the right material properties. Because a plasmon consists of oscillating electric charges, they also have an electromagnetic field associated with them which also carries energy. There’s a lot of terminology to explain in that short definition, and in this post I’ll explain what a surface plasmon is, the properties of surface plasmons, and how those properties make them useful in nano-optical applications.

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Henry Kuttner’s The Well of the Worlds

Science fiction

Have I mentioned how much I love Henry Kuttner’s writing? I’ve reviewed quite a few of his books here — Elak of Atlantis, Thunder Jim Wade, The Time Axis, Destination Infinity — and have greatly enjoyed all of them. Kuttner (1915-1958) was a versatile writer of the pulp era who could easily jump between styles. He wrote fantasy, horror, science fiction and adventure stories and managed to compose classics in each genre, though some of his greatest work was written in collaboration with his wife, C.L. Moore. His science fiction is what he is most remembered for, and the stories are a joy to read, often employing mathematical and scientific concepts in clever, even poetic ways. Though I’ve been sidetracked by other things of late, I’ve been eager to read all of his novels.

The most recent book of his I’ve gone through is The Well of the Worlds (1952):

(Picture of early edition via Fantastic Fiction.)

So what can I say about ‘Well? I actually had a hard time getting through the first few chapters, because I found it initially somewhat erratic and unsatisfying, but it picks up significant speed about halfway through (it’s only 125 pages) and I enjoyed it much from then on. It isn’t quite the same caliber as The Time Axis or Destination: Infinity, but it is still an enjoyable book.

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