Theory for anomalous refraction of visible light by the plane array of metallic waveguides

Abstract

The effect of anomalous or negative angle refraction in the periodic systems of silver waveguides is investigated. This effect arises solely due to the waveguide interaction and requires the system of specific geometrical configuration. It is also shown that the propagation constant provides a flexible mechanism to manipulate the anomalous refraction. We employ the multiple scattering formalism based on the exact solution of the Maxwell equations for a single waveguide problem. Also the method based on the lattice sum transformation into a fast convergent series is involved. This technique dramatically decreases the time necessary for performing the numerical simulations and increases the accuracy of the computational process. It is shown that all the directions, which the periodic system is possible to radiate, can be obtained beforehand, i.e. analytically, without numerical simulations. The latter ones are needed to determine energy the flux going into each of those directions.