GUIDED MODES IN A METAL-CLAD WAVEGUIDE COMPRISING A LEFT-HANDED MATERIAL AS A GUIDING LAYER

Abstract

An investigation of guided modes supported by an asymmetrical three layer metal-clad waveguide structure is presented. A left-handed material (LHM) guiding layer sandwiched between a metal substrate and a dielectric cladding is considered. The dispersion characteristics of TE and TM polarizations are analyzed. The effect of the metal layer and the LHM parameters as well as the mode order on the dispersion characteristics and on the power flow is discussed in details. The results reveal many interesting properties for possible applications in optical waveguide sensing.