Effect of uniaxial anisotropy of left-handed layers on created surface waves in a one dimensional photonic crystal

We investigate theoretically the creation conditions of TE and TM polarized surface waves created at the interface between a homogeneous medium and one dimensional photonic crystal (1D PC). The 1D PC is composed of uniaxially anisotropic left-handed (LH) and isotropic right-handed (RH) layers. We show that the characteristics of surface waves created in the 1D PC are significantly different from those created in the structure composed of isotropic LH and RH layers. We also prove that the coexistence of TE and TM surface waves at the interface is possible in the same frequency domain. Moreover, it is shown that in this structure backward and forward surface waves are created in wider ranges of frequency and angle of incident light, in comparison with the structure in which the left-handed layers are isotropic. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.