Low Lying Energy Loss in Silver Films

Abstract

The relation between the surface plasma oscillations and the homogeneous (radiation) solutions of Maxwell equations in thin metallic films is discussed. The expression for the total energy loss characteristic in the bounded medium is also derived by using the inhomogeneous and homogeneous fields thus obtained. The deduction proposed by Kunz that the energy loss observed in silver is caused by the excitation of surface plasmons is investigated by carrying out the numerical calculation of the expression for the total energy loss.