Abstract
We report on the possibility of realizing a radial mode on a metallic conical structure by means of a linearly polarized incident wave. This result is utilized for observing surface plasmon polaritons adiabatic compression on a tapered conical nanostructure. The ingredients for radial mode generation are described in terms of phase-matching of the components of the electromagnetic field. We conclude by showing the robustness of this approach, explaining the polaritonic behavior as a function of the device geometry. (C) 2012 Optical Society of America