Abstract
We investigate transmission of light in nanoscale structures. We present spatial and temporal domain measurements of the dephasing of surface plasmon excitations in metal films with periodic nano-hole arrays. By probing coherent spatial SP propagation lengths of a few f1. $\mu$m and an ultrafast decay of the SP polarization on a 10 fs timescale, we demonstrate that the SP transmission peaks are homogeneously broadened by the SP radiative lifetime. The pronounced wavelength and hole size dependence of the dephasing rate shows that the microscopic origin of the conversion of SP into light is a Rayleigh-like scattering by the periodic hole array. We have experimentally studied the dephasing of surface plasmon excitations in metallic nano-hole arrays. By relating nanoscopic SP propagation, ultrafast light transmission and optical spectra, we demonstrate that the transmission spectra of these plasmonic bandgap structures are homogeneously broadened. The spectral line shape and dephasing time are dominated by Rayleigh scattering of SP into light and can varied over a wide range by controlling the resonance energy and/or hole radius. This opens the way towards designing SP nano-optic devices and spatially and spectrally tailoring light -matter interactions on nanometer length scales.