Surface Polariton‐Like s‐Polarized Waveguide Modes in Switchable Dielectric Thin Films on Polar Crystals

Abstract Surface phonon polaritons (SPhPs) and surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs), evanescent modes supported by media with negative permittivity, are a fundamental building block of nanophotonics. These modes are unmatched in terms of field enhancement and spatial confinement, and dynamical all‐optical control can be achieved, e.g., by employing phase‐change materials. However, the excitation of surface polaritons in planar structures is intrinsically limited to p‐polarization. On the contrary, waveguide modes in high‐permittivity films can couple to both p‐ and s‐polarized light, and in thin films, their confinement can become comparable to surface polaritons. Here, it is demonstrated that the s‐polarized waveguide mode in a thin Ge₃Sb₂Te₆ (GST) film features a similar dispersion, confinement, and electric field enhancement as the SPhP mode of the silicon carbide (SiC) substrate, while even expanding the allowed frequency range. Moreover, it is experimentally shown that switching the GST film grants nonvolatile control over the SPhP and the waveguide mode dispersions. An analytical model is provided for the description of the GST/SiC waveguide mode and it is shown that the concept is applicable to the broad variety of polar crystals throughout the infrared spectral range. As such, complementarily to the polarization‐limited surface polaritons, the s‐polarized waveguide mode constitutes a promising additional building block for nanophotonic applications.