Surface modes of multilayer stacks

A parallel interface between a periodic multilayer structure and a uniform external medium can support surface electromagnetic waves. The energy in such a wave is localised about the boundary, and is excluded from the bulk of the multilayer structure by a Bragg condition. The possibility of quasi-single-mode behaviour, together with the freedom to make k as low as the plane-wave value in the external medium, and the great sensitivity of k to the detailed properties of the edge layer, gives these surface waves many potential applications in optical sensors, modulators, and other device

Narrow-Band Waveguide Taps Using Photonic Surface Modes Supported by Multilayer Dielectric Stacks

The photonic surface modes supported by multilayer dielectric stacks are highly dispersive. They can therefore be used to design mode-selective taps and narrow-band notch transmission filters for waveguide applications

Selective coupling of fibre modes using surface-guided Bloch modes supported by dielectric multilayer stacks

The surface-guided Bloch modes guided by the interface between a multilayer dielectric stack and an external medium are highly dispersive. This makes attractive their use in mode-selective coupling of light into and out of side-polished multimode fibres. The particular case of a dual-mode fibre is modelled in this paper. Mode selection via surface-guided Bloch modes is found to offer advantages in comparison to selection via a single mode waveguiding film of the same average refractive index as the stack. Good modal selectivity is achievable together with high tunability, i.e., high sensitivity to the refractive index of the intervening layer between stack and side-polished fibre

Narrow-band waveguide taps using photonic surface modes supported by multilayer dielectric stacks

The photonic surface modes supported by multilayer dielectric stacks are highly dispersive. They can therefore be used to design mode-selective taps and narrow-band notch transmission filters for waveguide applications