Compound surface-plasmon-polariton waves guided by a thin metal layer sandwiched between a homogeneous isotropic dielectric material and a periodically multilayered isotropic dielectric material

Multiple p- and s-polarized compound surface plasmon-polariton (SPP) waves at a fixed frequency can be guided by a structure consisting of a metal layer sandwiched between a homogeneous isotropic dielectric (HID) material and a periodic multilayered isotropic dielectric (PMLID) material. For any thickness of the metal layer, at least one compound SPP wave must exist. It possesses the p-polarization state, is strongly bound to the metal/HID interface when the metal thickness is large but to both metal/dielectric interfaces when the metal thickness is small. When the metal layer vanishes, this compound SPP wave transmutes into a Tamm wave. Additional compound SPP waves exist, depending on the thickness of the metal layer, the relative permittivity of the HID material, and the period and the composition of the PMLID material. Some of these are p polarized, the others being s polarized. All of them differ in phase speed, attenuation rate, and field profile, even though all are excitable at the same frequency. The multiplicity and the dependence of the number of compound SPP waves on the relative permittivity of the HID material when the metal layer is thin could be useful for optical sensing applications.Comment: 17 page

Compound surface-plasmon-polariton waves guided by a thin metal layer sandwiched between a homogeneous isotropic dielectric material and a structurally chiral material

Multiple compound surface plasmon-polariton (SPP) waves can be guided by a structure consisting of a sufficiently thick layer of metal sandwiched between a homogeneous isotropic dielectric (HID) material and a dielectric structurally chiral material (SCM). The compound SPP waves are strongly bound to both metal/dielectric interfaces when the thickness of the metal layer is comparable to the skin depth but just to one of the two interfaces when the thickness is much larger. The compound SPP waves differ in phase speed, attenuation rate, and field profile, even though all are excitable at the same frequency. Some compound SPP waves are not greatly affected by the choice of the direction of propagation in the transverse plane but others are, depending on metal thickness. For fixed metal thickness, the number of compound SPP waves depends on the relative permittivity of the HID material, which can be useful for sensing applications

Signatures of thermal hysteresis in Tamm-wave propagation

We numerically solved the boundary-value problem for Tamm waves (which may also be classified as Uller-Zenneck waves here) guided by the planar interface of a homogeneous isotropic dissipative dielectric (HIDD) material and a periodically multilayered isotropic dielectric material. The HIDD material was chosen to be VO${}_2$ which, at optical wavelengths, has a temperature-dependent refractive index with a hysteresis feature, i.e., the temperature-dependence of its refractive index varies depending upon whether the temperature is increasing or decreasing. A numerical code was implemented to extract solutions of the dispersion equation at a fixed wavelength for both $p$- and $s$-polarization states over the temperature range [50,80] degrees. A multitude of Tamm waves of both linear polarization states were found, demonstrating a clear demarcation of the heating and cooling phases in terms of wavenumbers and propagation distances. Thereby, the signatures of thermal hysteresis in Tamm-wave propagation were revealed

Elimination of Xylophages from Wood through Microwave Treatment: Microstructural Experiments

Samples of chestnut wood taken from modern age structures in the Campania Region were subjected to chemical and physical analysis in order to examine the microstructural variations in the material as a result of exposure to microwaves with the aim of devitalising colonies of xylophages. Results showed that the use of microwaves does not lead to alterations in the structure of the wood, but does bring about variations in its hygroscopicity and permeability

Temperature-mediated transition from Dyakonov-Tamm surface waves to surface-plasmon-polariton waves

The effect of changing the temperature on the propagation of electromagnetic surface waves (ESWs), guided by the planar interface of a homogeneous isotropic temperature-sensitive material (namely, InSb) and a temperature-insensitive structurally chiral material (SCM) was numerically investigated in the terahertz frequency regime. As the temperature rises, InSb transforms from a dissipative dielectric material to a \blue{dissipative} plasmonic material. Correspondingly, the ESWs transmute from Dyakonov--Tamm surface waves into surface--plasmon--polariton waves. The effects of the temperature change are clearly observed in the phase speeds, propagation distances, angular existence domains, multiplicity, and spatial profiles of energy flow of the ESWs. Remarkably large propagation distances can be achieved; in such instances the energy of an ESW is confined almost entirely within the SCM. For certain propagation directions, simultaneous excitation of two ESWs with (i) the same phase speeds but different propagation distances or (ii) the same propagation distances but different phase speeds are also indicated by our results

Left/right asymmetry in Dyakonov–Tamm-wave propagation guided by a topological insulator and a structurally chiral material

The propagation of Dyakonov–Tamm waves guided by the planar interface of an isotropic topological insulator and a structurally chiral material, both assumed to be nonmagnetic, was investigated by numerically solving the associated canonical boundary-value problem. The topologically insulating surface states of the topological insulator were quantitated via a surface admittance gTI, which significantly affects the phase speeds and the spatial profiles of the Dyakonov–Tamm waves. Most significantly, it is possible that a Dyakonov–Tamm wave propagates co-parallel to a vector u in the interface plane, but no Dyakonov–Tamm wave propagates anti-parallel to u. The left/right asymmetry, which vanishes for gTI = 0, is highly attractive for one-way on-chip optical communication

Search for Gravitational-wave Signals Associated with Gamma-Ray Bursts during the Second Observing Run of Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo

We present the results of targeted searches for gravitational-wave transients associated with gamma-ray bursts during the second observing run of Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo, which took place from 2016 November to 2017 August. We have analyzed 98 gamma-ray bursts using an unmodeled search method that searches for generic transient gravitational waves and 42 with a modeled search method that targets compact-binary mergers as progenitors of short gamma-ray bursts. Both methods clearly detect the previously reported binary merger signal GW170817, with p-values of <9.38 × 10−6 (modeled) and 3.1 × 10−4 (unmodeled). We do not find any significant evidence for gravitational-wave signals associated with the other gamma-ray bursts analyzed, and therefore we report lower bounds on the distance to each of these, assuming various source types and signal morphologies. Using our final modeled search results, short gamma-ray burst observations, and assuming binary neutron star progenitors, we place bounds on the rate of short gamma-ray bursts as a function of redshift for z ≤ 1. We estimate 0.07─1.80 joint detections with Fermi-GBM per year for the 2019─20 LIGO-Virgo observing run and 0.15─3.90 per year when current gravitational-wave detectors are operating at their design sensitivities

Extension of Hodgkinson's model for optical characterization of columnar thin films

An extension of Hodgkinson's model for the principal refractive indexes and column-inclination angle of a columnar thin film against the vapor-incidence angle is presented for an extraordinary refractive index relevant,for many optical applications. Not only do the principal refractive indexes depend quadratically on the vapor incidence angle, but the extraordinary refractive index does as well. This model is expected to be valid for chiral sculptured thin films as well