Polarimetric detection of the photon excitation of surface plasmons

A polarimetric method for the detection of surface plasmons, excited by lin early polarised light, was proposed and tested. It was established that thi s method is not only more sensitive to variations in the parameters of the waveguiding structure but also makes it possible to increase by one-two ord ers of magnitude the precision of determination of the excitation efficienc y and of the phase velocity of the plasmons, compared with the amplitude me thod for plasmon detection. The possibility of applying the method in senso r devices, in polarimetry, and in the microscopy of conducting surfaces is discussed.