Photoacoustic detection of plasmon surface polaritons in heavily doped polyacetylene films

We have observed plasmon surface polaritons in heavily doped polyacetylene films using a combined photoacoustic-attenuated total reflection (ATR) method. Photoacoustic techniques were used to detect the non-radiative decay of the plasmon generated in the polyacetylene films in the Kretschmann configuration of ATR. From the data we were able to determine the values of the complex optical dielectric constant ϵ~(ω) of the doped polyacetylene film in the visible region. This combined method offers a direct and convenient way to estimate ϵ~ for such highly reactive films, and can readily be extended to the i.r. region.