We predict a new branch of surface Josephson plasma waves (SJPWs) in layered superconductors for frequencies higher than the Josephson plasma frequency. In this frequency range, the permittivity tensor components along and transverse to the layers have different signs, which is usually associated with negative refraction. However, for these frequencies, the bulk Josephson plasma waves cannot be matched with the incident and reflected waves in the vacuum, and, instead of the negative-refractive properties, abnormal surface modes appear within the frequency band expected for bulk modes. We also discuss the excitation of high-frequency SJPWs by means of the attenuated-total-reflection method.
We discuss propagation of symmetric and antisymmetric Josephson plasma waves in a slab of layered superconductor clad between two identical dielectrics. We predict two branches of surface waves in the terahertz frequency range, one above and another below the Josephson plasma frequency. Apart from this, there exists a discrete set of waveguide modes with electromagnetic fields oscillating across the slab thickness and decaying exponentially away from the slab. We consider the excitation of the predicted waves by means of the attenuated-total-reflection method.It is shown that for specific set of the parameters of the structure the excitation of the waveguide modes is accompanied by total suppression of specular reflection.
We predict the enhanced transparency of a modulated slab of layered superconductor for terahertz radiation due to the diffraction of an incident wave and the resonance excitation of eigenmodes. The electromagnetic field is transferred from the irradiated side of the slab to the other by excited waveguide modes (WGMs) which do not decay in layered superconductors, in contrast to metals, where the enhanced light transmission is caused by the excitation of evanescent surface waves. We show that a series of resonance peaks can be observed in the dependence of transmittance on the incidence angle when the dispersion curve of the diffracted wave crosses successive dispersion curves for the WGMs.
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