Spectroscopic Ellipsometry on Metallic Gratings and the Energy Density in Absorbing Media

Improved fabrication facilities have allowed researchers to manipulate light by nano structures. A miniturization is necessary to achieve smaller operation wavelengths. This callanges researchers and arising problems arre only solved by a experimental and theoretical view. This work is about spectroscopic ellipsometry and its combination with theoretical calculations. Metallic gratings are simple structures and a comparison between theoretical and experimental spectra provide useful insight into more complicated metamaterials. Further, surfaces plasmons are excited in metallic gratings and are investigated by ellipsometry and the appropriatet theoretical model. As metamaterials operate in the optical region of strong dispersion, where absorption is non-negligible, the mathematical model for the energy density needs to be reviewed. So far, in many cases the absorption of materials is neglected and the energy density is derivedfor a loss-less case. Therefore, the expressions for the energy balance have to be generalized which is shown in the second part of this work. (author)