Excitation of surface plasma waves in crossed electric and magnetic fields

The efficiency of the excitation of surface plasma waves in the presence of external, steady crossed magnetic and electric fields is studied analytically and numerically for a geometry in which the waves propagate along the interface between a plasma-like medium and a metal in the direction transverse to both fields. The magnetic and electric fields are assumed to be parallel and transverse to the interface, respectively. The condition for which the drift instability of the surface wave arises is found.