Juan Jose Miret

Engineered surface waves in hyperbolic metamaterials

We analyzed surface-wave propagation that takes place at the boundary between a semi-infinite dielectric and a multilayered metamaterial, the latter with indefinite permittivity and cut normally to the layers. Known hyperbolization of the dispersion curve is discussed within distinct spectral regimes, including the role of the surrounding material. Hybridization of surface waves enable tighter confinement near the interface in comparison with pure-TM surface-plasmon polaritons. We demonstrate that the effective-medium approach deviates severely in practical implementations. By using the finite-element method, we predict the existence of long-range oblique surface waves.

Analytical evaluation of chromatic dispersion in photonic crystal fibers.

We present a two-dimensional modal approach for the evaluation, in an analytical manner, of chromatic dispersion in any kind of optical fiber. It combines an iterative Fourier technique to compute the propagation constant at any fixed wavelength and an analytical procedure to calculate its derivatives. The proposed formulation takes into account the effective anisotropy of the interfaces and allows us to deal with microstructured fibers, in general, and specifically with realistic photonic crystal fibers (PCFs), including arbitrary spatial refractive-index distributions of dispersive and absorbing materials. This fast and accurate numerical technique is extremely useful for both analysis and design. We show some results of analysis of PCFs with high anisotropy, and we also describe PCFs with new dispersive properties.

Octave-spanning ultraflat supercontinuum with soft-glass photonic crystal fibers

We theoretically identify some photonic-crystal-fiber structures, made up of soft glass, that generate ultrawide (over an octave) and very smooth supercontinuum spectra when illuminated with femtosecond pulsed light. The design of the fiber geometry in order to reach a nearly ultraflattened normal dispersion behavior is crucial to accomplish the above goal. Our numerical simulations reveal that these supercontinuum sources show high stability and no significant changes are detected even for fairly large variations of the incident pulse.

Nondiffracting Bessel plasmons

We report on the existence of nondiffracting Bessel surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs), advancing at either superluminal or subluminal phase velocities. These wave fields feature deep subwavelength FWHM, but are supported by high-order homogeneous SPPs of a metal/dielectric (MD) superlattice. The beam axis can be relocated to any MD interface, by interfering multiple converging SPPs with controlled phase matching. Dissipative effects in metals lead to a diffraction-free regime that is limited by the energy attenuation length. However, the ultra-localization of the diffracted wave field might still be maintained by more than one order of magnitude.

Differential toolbox to shape dispersion behavior in photonic crystal fibers.

We present an analytical procedure to compute the first derivatives of the propagation constants with respect to several structural parameters in photonic crystal fibers (PCFs). From them we can easily evaluate the same derivatives of other directly related magnitudes. The above derivatives provide the trend of the magnitude at issue, which allows us to take advantage of a gradient-based algorithm to shape the properties of the guiding structure. In this way we implement an optimization process to carry out real inverse design in PCFs. We focus our attention on designing PCFs with a specific chromatic dispersion behavior. Likewise, the same approach makes it possible to analyze their fabrication tolerances.

Oblique surface waves at an interface between a metal–dielectric superlattice and an isotropic dielectric

We investigate the existence and dispersion characteristics of surface waves that propagate at an interface between a metal–dielectric superlattice and an isotropic dielectric. Within the long-wavelength limit, when the effective-medium (EM) approximation is valid, the superlattice behaves like a uniaxial plasmonic crystal with the main optical axes perpendicular to the metal–dielectric interfaces. We demonstrate that if such a semi-infinite plasmonic crystal is cut normally to the layer interfaces and brought into contact with a semi-infinite dielectric, a new type of surface mode can appear. Such modes can propagate obliquely to the optical axes if favorable conditions regarding the thickness of the layers and the dielectric permittivities of the constituent materials are met. We show that losses within the metallic layers can be substantially reduced by making the layers sufficiently thin. At the same time, a dramatic enlargement of the range of angles for oblique propagation of the new surface modes is observed. This can lead, however, to field non-locality and consequently to failure of the EM approximation.

Diffraction-free beams with elliptic Bessel envelope in periodic media

We report on discrete, nondiffracting, paraxial beams with a Bessel spatial envelope in 1D periodic structures of dielectric media. Anisotropy of the envelope profile is demonstrated to behave in the same manner as extraordinary waves in uniaxial crystals.

Algorithm for Correcting the Keratometric Estimation Error in Normal Eyes

Purpose. To obtain an accurate algorithm for calculating the keratometric index that minimizes the errors in the calculation of corneal power assuming only a single corneal surface in the range of corneal curvatures of the normal population. Methods. Corneal power was calculated by using the classical keratometric index and also by using the Gaussian equation. Differences between types of calculation of corneal power were determined and modeled by regression analysis. Results. We proposed two options for the selection of the most appropriate keratometric index (nk) value for each specific case. First was the use of specific linear equations (depending on the ratio of the anterior to the posterior curvature, k ratio) according to the value of the central radius of curvature of the anterior corneal surface (r1c) in 0.1 mm steps and the theoretical eye model considered. The second was the use of a general simplified equation only requiring r1c (Gullstrand eye model, nk = −0.0064286r1c + 1.37688; Le Grand eye model, nk = −0.0063804r1c + 1.37806). Conclusions. The generalization of the keratometric index (nk) value is not an appropriate approximation for the estimation of the corneal power and it can lead to significant errors. We proposed a new algorithm depending on r1c, with a maximal associated error in the calculation of the corneal power of 0.5 D and without requiring knowledge of the posterior corneal curvature.

Diffraction-free propagation of subwavelength light beams in layered media

Self-collimation of tightly localized laser beams demonstrated in periodic media relies on a perfect-matched rephasing of the Fourier constituents of the wavefield induced by a plane isofrequency curve. An alternate way paved for the achievement of such a phase matching condition developed a suitable spatial filtering in order to select those frequencies experiencing the same phase velocity projected over a given orientation. In principle this procedure is valid for complex structured metamaterials. However, a great majority of studies have focused on free-space propagation leading to the well-known Bessel beams. This paper is devoted to the analysis of this sort of nondiffracting beams traveling in one-dimensional metallic-dielectric photonic crystals. Specifically we present a family of localized radiation modes in multilayered periodic media, where in-phase superposition of p-polarized waves leads to radiative confinement around the beam axis. Excitation of surface plasmon polaritons yields an enhanced localization normally to the interfaces. Subwavelength beam widths along an infinitely long distance might potentially be obtained.

Propagation of Dyakonon Wave-Packets at the Boundary of Metallodielectric Lattices

We rigorously analyze the propagation of localized surface waves that takes place at the boundary between a semi-infinite layered metal-dielectric (MD) nanostructure cut normally to the layers and a isotropic medium. It is demonstrated that Dyakonov-like surface waves (also coined dyakonons) with hybrid polarization may propagate in a wide angular range. As a consequence, dyakonon-based wave-packets (DWPs) may feature subwavelength beamwidths. Due to the hyperbolic-dispersion regime in plasmonic crystals, supported DWPs are still in the canalization regime. The apparent quadratic beam spreading, however, is driven by dissipation effects in metal.