Surface-polaritonlike waves guided by thin, lossy metal films

Surface-plasmon polaritons guided by thin, lossy metallic films bounded by dissimilar dielectric media are investigated. New solutions to the dispersion relation are found, representing waves that are leaky (radiative) in one of the dielectrics. The new waves are interpreted in terms of the coupling of a damped surface plasmon at one interface with continuum modes at the other. Their excitation by end-fire coupling techniques is suggested.