Abstract

Subwavelength periodic optical nanostructures can be used to implement a number of novel optical materials and devices, based on the nearfield interaction of the optical wave with the subwavelength scale structure. For practical reasons, however, it is easier to fabricate subwavelength nanostructures having a large period (i.e. close to the optical wavelength). In this regime, however, standard approximate methods of determining the optical characteristics of the structure tend to be inaccurate. As the period of the nanostructure increases towards the optical wavelength, the transverse distribution of the field inside the structure becomes increasingly important in determining the optical properties. In this paper, we describe a method for rigorously computing the mode characteristics of a periodic nanostructure, and its application to the accurate design of composite optical materials and novel optical devices.

© 2002 Optical Society of America