Diffraction-Free Bloch Surface Waves

TL;DR

This paper introduces a new diffraction-free Bloch surface wave on dielectric multilayers that maintains its shape over long distances and can operate in water, enabling advanced biological sensing and chip interconnections.

Contribution

The study demonstrates a novel diffraction-free Bloch surface wave that propagates long distances without diffraction, suitable for biological and high-speed optical applications.

Findings

Propagates over 110 μm without diffraction at 633 nm

Operates effectively in air and aqueous environments

Potential for use in biological sensing and chip interconnects

Abstract

In this letter, we demonstrate a novel diffraction-free Bloch surface wave (DF-BSW) sustained on all-dielectric multilayers that does not diffract after being passed through three obstacles or across a single mode fiber. It can propagate in a straight line for distances longer than 110 {\mu}m at a wavelength of 633 nm and could be applied as an in-plane optical virtual probe, both in air and in an aqueous environment. The ability to be used in water, its long diffraction-free distance, and its tolerance to multiple obstacles make this DF-BSW ideal for certain applications in areas such as the biological sciences, where many measurements are made on glass surfaces or for which an aqueous environment is required, and for high-speed interconnections between chips, where low loss is necessary. Specifically, the DF-BSW on the dielectric multilayer can be used to develop novel flow cytometry that is based on the surface wave, but not the free space beam, to detect the surface-bound targets.