Abstract

The mechanism of optical absorption from thin-film waveguides is investigated analytically for three cases: ideal waveguides, scattering in waveguides, and surface phenomena associated with molecular adsorption. Preliminary experimental results with methylene-blue dye placed on a waveguide surface show absorption magnitudes approximately ten times greater than is predicted for an ideal waveguide. Enhanced absorption based on modal variation is shown to be attributed to both scattering and molecular-adsorption effects.

© 1972 Optical Society of America

Effect of Boundary Scattering on Photoemission from Thin Films*

W. Pong, H. K. Nishihara, and D. Chan
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 62(4) 487-490 (1972)

Determination of the Inter-Island Dielectric Constant in Aggregated Silver Films, by Measurement of Optical Plasma Resonance Absorption

Sadafumi Yoshida, Tomuo Yamaguchi, and Akira Kinbara
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 62(12) 1415-1419 (1972)

Refractive Index, Thickness, and Extinction Coefficient of Slightly Absorbing Thin Films

M. Ruiz-Urbieta and E. M. Sparrow
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 62(8) 931-937 (1972)

Measurements of the Absorption of Light in Low-Loss Liquids

J. Stone
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 62(3) 327-333 (1972)

Absorption and Emission of Evanescent Photons*

C. K. Carniglia, L. Mandel, and K. H. Drexhage
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 62(4) 479-486 (1972)