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Optics Express

Optics Express

  • Editor: C. Martijn de Sterke
  • Vol. 19, Iss. 4 — Feb. 14, 2011
  • pp: 3818–3824

Optics InfoBase > Optics Express > Volume 19 > Issue 4 > Page 3818

Layered metal-dielectric waveguide: subwavelength guidance, leveraged modulation sensitivity in mode index, and reversed mode ordering

Min Yan, Lars Thylén, and Min Qiu  »View Author Affiliations


Optics Express, Vol. 19, Issue 4, pp. 3818-3824 (2011)
http://dx.doi.org/10.1364/OE.19.003818


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Abstract

We describe a layered metal-dielectric waveguide, whose fundamental mode has an effective index as high as 7.35 at 1.55μm, enabling subwavelength spatial confinement. The loss is found to be reasonable in relation to the confinement. The indefinite dielectric tensor of the stratified metamaterial core generally leads to multimode operation of the waveguide, exhibiting a “reversed” mode ordering contrary to conventional waveguides. The waveguide features a strong leveraging in modal index change subject to a change of index in the dielectric layers, opening the design possibilities of very compact active electro-optic devices.

© 2011 Optical Society of America

OCIS Codes
(230.7370) Optical devices : Waveguides
(160.3918) Materials : Metamaterials
(250.5403) Optoelectronics : Plasmonics

ToC Category:
Optics at Surfaces

History
Original Manuscript: January 13, 2011
Revised Manuscript: February 3, 2011
Manuscript Accepted: February 4, 2011
Published: February 11, 2011

Citation
Min Yan, Lars Thylén, and Min Qiu, "Layered metal-dielectric waveguide: subwavelength guidance, leveraged modulation sensitivity in mode index, and reversed mode ordering," Opt. Express 19, 3818-3824 (2011)
http://www.opticsinfobase.org/oe/abstract.cfm?URI=oe-19-4-3818


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References

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