Interplay of nonlocal response, damping, and low group velocity in surface-plasmon polaritons

The miniaturization of metal structures down to the nanoscale has been accompanied with several recent studies demonstrating plasmonic effects not explainable by classical electromagnetic theory. Describing the optical properties of materials solely through the bulk dielectric function has been augmented with quantum mechanical corrections, such as the electron spill-out effect and nonlocal response. Here, we discuss the latter and its implications on the waveguiding characteristics, such as dispersion and group velocity, of the surface-plasmon polariton mode supported at a metal-air interface.