Terahertz Dyakonov surface waves in plasma metamaterials

Area of Science:

• Physics
• Materials Science
• Electrical Engineering

Background:

• Metamaterials offer unique properties not found in ordinary materials.
• Plasma metamaterials (PMMs) exhibit tunable permittivity via external fields or environmental changes.
• Dyakonov surface waves (DSWs) are surface electromagnetic waves at dielectric interfaces.

Purpose of the Study:

• Investigate conditions for DSW existence at PMM-dielectric interfaces in the terahertz (THz) range.
• Analyze the impact of plasma collisional loss on DSW propagation.
• Explore the potential for enhanced DSW characteristics in PMMs.

Main Methods:

• Theoretical analysis of DSWs at a multilayer PMM and isotropic dielectric interface.
• Modeling the PMM as alternating layers of plasma and background material.
• Studying the dispersion curves of DSWs with and without plasma collisional loss.

Main Results:

• DSW propagation is achievable at the PMM-dielectric interface in the THz region.
• Plasma collisional loss influences the DSW dispersion curve.
• The angular regions for DSW existence can be tuned and significantly expanded.
• PMMs exhibit large birefringence, supporting DSWs in large angular domains with plasmon-like localization.

Conclusions:

• Plasma metamaterials provide a versatile platform for engineering Dyakonov surface waves.
• Tunable propagation characteristics and enhanced localization make these PMM-based DSWs promising for THz applications.
• The findings pave the way for novel devices utilizing surface waves in the terahertz spectrum.