Grating-coupled excitation of the Uller-Zenneck surface wave in the optical regime

TL;DR

This paper theoretically investigates the excitation of the Uller-Zenneck surface wave in the optical regime, demonstrating that periodic corrugation enables its excitation over a wide range of incident angles, with practical material configurations suggested for experiments.

Contribution

It introduces a novel approach using periodic corrugation to excite the Uller-Zenneck surface wave in the optical regime, which was not feasible with flat interfaces.

Findings

Periodic corrugation enables excitation over a wide range of angles.

Air and silicon are suitable materials for experimental verification.

Planar interfaces are unsuitable for experimental confirmation.

Abstract

The excitation of the Uller-Zenneck surface wave in the optical regime was theoretically investigated for planar as well as periodically corrugated interfaces of two homogeneous, isotropic dielectric materials, with only one of the two being dissipative. A practical configuration involving the planewave illumination of a planar interface of the two partnering materials was found to be unsuitable for experimental confirmation of the existence of this surface wave. But, when the interface was periodically corrugated, the Uller-Zenneck wave was found to be excited over a wide range of the angle of incidence. Air and crystalline silicon were identified as suitable partnering materials for experiments in the visible and ultraviolet spectral regimes.