The concept of a one-dimensional optical wave and its waveguides are proposed for what is to our knowledge the first time. The proposed waveguides are principally new and named for one-dimensional optical waveguides. One-dimensional optical waveguides make it possible to guide very thin optical beams in the visible or the near-infrared region with a diameter in the nanometer range. The propagation properties are analyzed theoretically. The applications of the waveguides to optical devices in the nanometer range are discussed. (C) 1997 Optical Society of America.
展开▼
