Abstract

Birefringent layered media play an important role m a number of applications.. These include narrow-band, birifrangent filters, multistage electrooptic modulators, and polarizes.¹ Such structures constitute a particular class of one dimensional photonic band gap (PBG) crystals.² In the present work we extend the theory into the regime where a finite number of optically anisotrotropic layers is considered with the objective to determine the spectral transmission properties and dispersion relations. In the case of isotropic layered media, the electromagnetic radiation can be divided into two independent (uncoupled) modes. These arc TE modes and TM modes. Since they are uncoupled, the matrix method involves the manipula' tion of 2 × 2 matrices only. In the case of bin ifrangent layered media, the electromagnetic radiation consists of four partial waves. Mode coupling takes place at the interface where an incident plane wave produces waves with different polarization states due to anisotropy of the layers- As a result, 4×4 matrices are needed in the matrix method.¹

© 2002 Optical Society of America