Optical guided waves at graded metal-dielectric interfaces
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Updated: Jun 1, 2026

Fabrication And Characterization Of Photonic Crystal Slow Light Waveguides And Cavities
Published on: November 30, 2012
Brett A Kruger1, Joyce K S Poon
1Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Toronto, 10 King’s College Road, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G4, Canada. brett.kruger@utoronto.ca
Abstract:
Waveguides at interfaces with a linearly graded permittivity between a metal and a dielectric are studied. Analytic expressions for the dispersion relations, modes, losses, and cutoff wavelengths are derived and agree well with simulations. The gradation results in anomalous dispersion, a reduction in the energy velocity, and increased field confinement in the metal-dielectric transition region. These effects lead to increased propagation losses, which are sensitive to the spatial extent of the interface gradation.
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