Application of Circularly Polarized Plasmon Resonance Modes to All-Optical Magnetic Recording

The numerical study of circularly polarized plasmon resonance modes in metallic nanoparticles with uniaxial symmetry is reported. These plasmon modes provide optical means for nanoscale focusing of circularly polarized light. For this reason, these modes are promising for all-optical magnetization reversals of nanoscale spots of magnetic recording media. A general theoretical approach to the analysis of circularly polarized plasmon modes is presented and then applied to two specific designs of silver nano-rings and spherical nanoshells on dielectric substrates.