Abstract
The elementary solutions of the wave equation in a periodic waveguide (Fig. 1) are waves of the Floquet-Bloch type.1,2 They are formed by the superposition of a set of plane waves, called space harmonics (SHs). An equivalent description is possible3 by the coupled mode formalism, considering plane waves (the SHs) as the elementary excitations which are coupled by the structure of the guide. For a discussion of wave propagation over extended areas of periodic guides we adopt here the Bloch viewpoint. Below, we summarize briefly the properties of optical Bloch waves of general direction of propagation. We show their direct excitation by a prism coupler, permitting a measurement of the complete dispersion characteristic of the guide. We then discuss transitions between periodic and nonperiodic guides, showing the unusual optical effect of negative refraction.
© 1980 Optical Society of America
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