Optical surface waves supported and controlled by thermal waves

TL;DR

This paper explores how thermal waves can support and control optical surface waves at semiconductor edges, revealing thresholdless surface waves caused by thermal and Kerr nonlinearities.

Contribution

It introduces the concept of thresholdless optical surface waves supported by thermal waves and nonlinear effects in semiconductors.

Findings

Existence of thresholdless surface waves due to thermal and Kerr nonlinearities

Thermal waves enable control of optical surface wave formation

Surface waves are supported at the edge of semiconductor materials

Abstract

We address the formation of optical surface waves at the very edge of semiconductor materials illuminated by modulated light beams that generate thermal waves rapidly fading in the bulk material. We find families of thresholdless surface waves which existing due to the combined action of thermally-induced refractive index modulations and instantaneous Kerr-type nonlinearity.