  We investigate the existence and the dispersion characteristics of surface
waves that propagate at an interface between metal-dielectric superlattice and
isotropic dielectric. Within the long wavelength limit, when the
effective-medium approximation is valid, the superlattice behaves like a
uniaxial plasmonic crystal with the main optical axes perpendicular to the
metal-dielectric interfaces. We demonstrate that if such a semi-infinite
plasmonic crystal is cut normally to the layer interfaces and brought into the
contact with semi-infinite dielectric, a new type of surface modes can appear.
The propagation of such modes obliquely to the optical axes occurs under
favorable conditions that regard thicknesses of the layers, as well as the
proper choice of dielectric permittivity of the constituent materials. We show
that losses within the metallic layers can be substantially reduced by making
the layers sufficiently thin. At the same time, a dramatic enlargement of the
range of angles for oblique propagation of the new surface modes is observed.
This can lead, however, to the field non-locality and consequently to the
failure of the effective-medium approximation.
