Waveguides including negative permeability and simultaneously negative permittivity and permeability materials for sensing applications

Abstract

In this paper, a four-layer slab waveguide sensor is proposed. The waveguide has the conventional structure of a substrate, a guiding film and a cladding. At the substrate-film interface, an additional layer is inserted which can be a material with negative permeability or a material with simultaneously negative permittivity and permeability. The proposed waveguide is analyzed and both the dispersion relation and Fresnel coefficients are derived. The reflectance of an incident wave from the structure is investigated and plotted. The reflectance dip appearing in the profile is optimized. Using the two structures as optical sensor is also studied. The performance of the two structures as optical sensors is compared.