Propagation of optical waves in planar periodically inhomogeneous chiral structures

Abstract

The analytic solution of the problem of propagation of eigen modes in planar periodically inhomogeneous optical waveguides based on alternating dielectric and chiral (or with optical activity) layers is examined. The method is based on the solution of the Hill equations for the electric field strengths of modes with circular polarizations. As a result, a dispersion equation for the eigen modes of a planar periodically inhomogeneous chiral-dielectric waveguide was obtained and its numerical solution was performed. As a result of the analysis of numerical results, it is shown that the structure under study can operate in different modes: propagation of modes with right and left circular polarizations, propagation of a mode with only one type of circular polarization and the optical key mode.