A fixed detector Kretschmann configuration optical system to study surface plasmon excitations

• Fixed detector Kretschmann optical system.
• Surface plasmon polaritons on dielectric/gold interface.
• Surface Plasmon Polariton induced quenching of photoluminescence of quantum dots.

A fixed detector Kretschmann configuration optical system is described to study surface plasmon resonance at interfaces. Not only does this system facilitate measurements of reflectivity, it also enables simultaneous pump-probe measurements of other optical properties of materials. Examples are presented from the observations of total attenuated reflectivity at high-index prism/gold interface and surface plasmon induced changes in the photoluminescence spectra of CdSe/ZnS quantum dots.