Tamm plasmon polaritons: Slow and spatially compact light

We report on the first experimental observation of Tamm plasmon polaritons (TPPs) formed at the interface between a metal and a dielectric Bragg reflector (DBR). In contrast to conventional surface plasmons, TPPs have an in-plane wavevector less than the wavevector of light in vacuum, which allows for their direct optical excitation. The angular resolved reflectivity and transmission spectra of a GaAs∕AlAs DBR covered by Au films of various thicknesses show the resonances associated with the TPP at low temperatures and room temperature. The in-plane dispersion of TTPs is parabolic with an effective mass of 4×10−5 of the free electron mass.