Slot waveguide enhanced Bloch surface waves

Abstract

The paper presents a novel concept for the on-chip integration of a multilayer platform sustaining Bloch surface waves further enhanced by the so-called slot waveguide effect. Through simulations, we demonstrate that a carefully designed polymer waveguide arrangement coated with a subwavelength dielectric multilayer can be efficiently used to first excite a Bloch surface wave at the surface of the multilayer and second to enhance this wave and allow longer propagation of the surface mode by constructive superimposition of two evanescent tails inside a narrow gap.