Thermal-hysteresis-affected surface-plasmon-polariton-wave propagation

Propagation of surface-plasmon-polariton (SPP) waves guided by a metal/dielectric interface can be greatly affected by thermal hysteresis in the dielectric material. Calculations for the silver/vanadium-dioxide interface show that, while SPP-wave propagation is possible over the entire thermal-hysteresis regime 58°C**,72°C if the wavelength ≲1100 nm, at higher frequencies SPP-wave propagation is possible only in a low-temperature portion of the same regime. The phase speed is higher and the attenuation rates are lower on the cooling branch than on the heating branch, which may be used to sense whether the temperature is increasing or decreasing.