Intrinsic losses in self-assembled hybrid metallodielectric systems

The light confinement properties of hybrid metallodielectric systems have been studied employing numerical simulations to obtain the optical response as well as the total field intensity associated with the different modes of the structure. The effect of intrinsic losses, absorption, and out-of-plane leakage on the quality factors (Q) of different modes is discussed, and the results obtained are interpreted in terms of the optical constants of the metallic substrate. Large Q values (up to 600) can be attained in this kind of samples, much larger than in their purely dielectric counterpart, pointing to the ability of these systems to efficiently confine electromagnetic radiation. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3626856]