Controlled switching of the optical surface waves in one-dimensional photonic crystals containing left-handed materials in the presence of a chiral metamaterial as a cap layer

Abstract We theoretically investigated the localization and switching properties of surface waves that appear at the interface between the homogeneous medium and a semi-infinite one-dimensional photonic crystal in the presence of chiral metamaterial as a cap layer, using the transfer matrix method. The one-dimensional photonic crystal is made of alternating layers of right-handed and dispersive left-handed materials, and both forward and backward surface waves were appeared in this structure. It was demonstrated that the chirality parameter of the cap layer plays a significant role in tuning the type (changing forward to backward and vice versa) and localization of surface waves with transverse electric polarization. We believe that our results provide a useful way for a deeper understanding of the properties of surface waves in photonic devices and metamaterial systems.