Critical coupling of surface plasmons in graphene attenuated total reflection geometry

Abstract

We study the optical response of an attenuated total reflection (ATR) structure in Otto configuration with graphene sheet, payingespecial attention to the occurrence of total absorption. Our results show that due to excitation of surface plasmons on the graphenesheet, two different conditions of total absorption may occur. At these conditions, the energy loss of the surface plasmon byradiation is equal to its energy loss by absorption into the graphene sheet. We give necessary conditions on ATR parameters for theexistence of total absorption.