Simulation of scattering of optical radiation by a metal surface with nanometer irregularity

Within the framework of the model of a limited electron free path, the scattering indicatrix for spherical nanoparticles was calculated. The calculations were made by an example of silver and supersmooth surfaces, which were modulated by a monolayer of spherical nanoparticles taking into account the correlation in the distribution of particles and the size effect within the framework of the interference approximation. As follows from the calculations, the inclusion of the size effect into consideration leads to a noticeable change of the scattering intensity, both for separate particles and a surface, near the plasma resonance wavelength. Because of this, the spectral dependences of the refractive index calculated with and without allowance for the size dependence of optical constants differ in the resonant region by more than an order of magnitude.