11 research outputs found
Electromagnetic surface waves guided by the planar interface of isotropic chiral materials
The propagation of electromagnetic surface waves guided by the planar
interface of two isotropic chiral materials, namely materials \calA and
\calB, was investigated by numerically solving the associated canonical
boundary-value problem. Isotropic chiral material \calB was modeled as a
homogenized composite material, arising from the homogenization of an isotropic
chiral component material and an isotropic achiral, nonmagnetic, component
material characterized by the relative permittivity \eps_a^\calB. Changes in
the nature of the surface waves were explored as the volume fraction
f_a^\calB of the achiral component material varied. Surface waves are
supported only for certain ranges of f_a^\calB; within these ranges only one
surface wave, characterized by its relative wavenumber , is supported at
each value of f_a^\calB. For \mbox{Re} \lec \eps_a^\calB \ric > 0 , as
\left| \mbox{Im} \lec \eps_a^\calB \ric \right| increases surface waves are
supported for larger ranges of f_a^\calB and \left| \mbox{Im} \lec q \ric
\right| for these surface waves increases. For \mbox{Re} \lec \eps_a^\calB
\ric < 0 , as \mbox{Im} \lec \eps_a^\calB \ric increases the ranges of
f_a^\calB that support surface-wave propagation are almost unchanged but
\mbox{Im} \lec q \ric for these surface waves decreases. The surface waves
supported when \mbox{Re} \lec \eps_a^\calB \ric < 0 may be regarded as akin
to surface-plasmon-polariton waves, but those supported for when \mbox{Re}
\lec \eps_a^\calB \ric > 0 may not
Simultaneous amplification and attenuation in isotropic chiral materials
The electromagnetic field phasors in an isotropic chiral material (ICM) are
superpositions of two Beltrami fields of different handedness. Application of
the Bruggeman homogenization formalism to two-component composite materials
delivers ICMs wherein Beltrami fields of one handedness attenuate whereas
Beltrami waves of the other handedness amplify. One component material is a
dissipative ICM, the other an active dielectric material