Optical waves and beams in layered isotropic and anisotropic media

Abstract

We summarize our analyses of optical wave and beam propagation in layered media using the transfer matrix method and the Berreman technique using effective medium theory. Examples include multilayer metallodielectric structures which can exhibit hyperbolic dispersion, multilayer dielectric-phase change materials, multilayers of positive index and negative index materials, and multilayers of linear and nonlinear materials. The Berreman technique is used to derive a transfer function of propagation to model beam propagation in hyperbolic metamaterials.