Comments on "Near-field interference for the unidirectional excitation of electromagnetic guided modes"

TL;DR

This paper comments on a previous work, highlighting that magnetic dipoles are crucial for unidirectional electromagnetic mode excitation, a factor overlooked in the original study, and notes prior related research.

Contribution

It clarifies the role of magnetic dipoles in unidirectional excitation and points out prior work addressing similar schemes.

Findings

Magnetic dipoles are key to unidirectional excitation.

The scheme was previously addressed in earlier research.

Magnetic effects were neglected in the original report.

Abstract

Rodriguez-Fortuno et al. (19 April 2013, p. 330) reported the unidirectional excitation of electromagnetic guided modes via the oblique illumination of a circularly polarized light. This comment points out that the same scheme was addressed in our a-year-ahead paper and that magnetic dipoles play a key role in the unidirectional excitation which was neglected in Rodriguez-Fortuno et al.'s report.