Low-frequency surface plasmon excitations in multicoaxial negative-index metamaterial cables

TL;DR

This paper investigates surface plasmon excitations in multicoaxial negative-index metamaterial cables using a response function approach, revealing complex spectra with multiple modes and potential applications in optoelectronics.

Contribution

It introduces an elegant response function method to analyze plasmon modes in multicoaxial metamaterial cables without complex boundary matching.

Findings

Dispersive metamaterials support richer plasmon spectra with TM and TE modes.

Nondispersive metamaterials do not support both TM and TE modes simultaneously.

Density of states calculations confirm spatial mode positions.

Abstract

By using an elegant response function theory, which does not require matching of the messy boundary conditions, we investigate the surface plasmon excitations in the multicoaxial cylindrical cables made up of negative-index metamaterials. The multicoaxial cables with {\em dispersive} metamaterial components exhibit rather richer (and complex) plasmon spectrum with each interface supporting two modes: one TM and the other TE for (the integer order of the Bessel function) $m \ne 0$. The cables with {\em nondispersive} metamaterial components bear a different tale: they do not support simultaneously both TM and TE modes over the whole range of propagation vector. The computed local and total density of states enable us to substantiate spatial positions of the modes in the spectrum. Such quasi-one dimensional systems as studied here should prove to be the milestones of the emerging optoelectronics and telecommunications systems.