Analysis of the contrast in normal-incidence surface plasmon photoemission microscopy in a pump-probe experiment with adjustable polarization

We investigate the fringe contrast in surface plasmon polariton-based two-photon photoemission microscopy in a normal-incidence geometry. In a pumpprobe experiment with freely adjustable polarization of the probe pulse, we find a maximum contrast whenever the probe pulse polarization is parallel (or anti-parallel) to the propagation direction of the surface plasmon polariton wave packet. The experimental observation is compared to a wave simulation based on the known TM solution for surface plasmon polaritons. We estimate that at the Au/vacuum interface the in-plane component of the electric field of the surface plasmon polariton inside the metal is about five times larger than its out-of-plane component. We conclude that the locations of maximum plasmon-related nonlinear photoemission yield in a pump-probe experiment are the ones where the in-plane component of the electric field of the surface plasmon polariton is maximal.