Thermal Excitation of Broadband and Long-range Surface Waves on SiO 2 Submicron Films

We detect thermally excited surfaces waves on a submicron SiO 2 layer, including Zenneck and guided modes in addition to Surface Phonon Polaritons. The measurements show the existence of these hybrid thermal-electromagnetic waves from near-(2.7 µm) to far-(11.2 µm) infrared. Their propagation distances reach values on the order of the millimeter, several orders of magnitude larger than on semi-infinite systems. These two features; spectral broadness and long range propagation, make these waves good candidates for near-field applications both in optics and thermics due to their dual nature.