Radiation Suppressing Metallo–Dielectric Optical Waveguides

In this paper, a theoretical study of the optical performance of the parallel-plate waveguide, the nonradiative dielectric (NRD) waveguide, and a recently proposed metallo-dielectric waveguide (MDW) [Buckley and Berini, Optics Letters, vol. 34, no. 2, pp. 223-225, 2009] is reported. One-dimensional analysis is used to gain insight into their operation, followed by full-wave 2-D simulations of the waveguides in their straight and curved form. The modes supported by the NRD waveguide are perturbed by the excitation of surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) along the metal surfaces causing high propagation loss for the straight waveguide and mode deformation along radial bends, as r₀ rarr 0. In contrast the recently proposed MDW shows promise due to its ability to guide the fundamental TE mode over long-range ( ~ 1.2 dB/mm) and through aggressive bends with low loss while retaining its mode character. The waveguide also has potential use in optoelectronic/electrooptic components due to the presence of the metal plates.