Quasi-Talbot effect of the sub-wavelength Ag grating

When a TM-polarized beam incidents normally on a thick sub-wavelength Ag grating with small opening ratio, self-images form in the transparent dielectric layer due to contributions not only from waves radiating from the slits, but also from the Surface Plasmons (SPs) created on Ag surface. These two contributions make the self-images connect together along the propagation direction and form continuous stripes with period equal to half of that of the grating. We define this phenomenon as quasi-Talbot effect. For a thin sub-wavelength Ag grating or a grating with large opening ratio, its intensity distribution conforms to the conventional Talbot effect. Investigation on quasi-Talbot effect of sub-wavelength metal grating can develop new applications in nano-scale devices.