The sensitivity of surface polaritons in LHM-antiferromagnetic waveguide sensors

A three-layer waveguide structure sensor consisting of LHMs film surrounded by dielectric cladding and antiferromagnetic substrate is proposed. Left-handed materials (LHMs) known as Metamaterials (MTMs) have simultaneous negative permeability and permittivity. The dispersion relation for the structure is derived for TE modes only. The sensitivity is calculated for surface waves at the interface between LHM film and dielectric layer. Two ranges of frequencies are chosen such that the Voigt permeability, μv, is either negative or positive. The sensitivity is proven to be affected by different parameters including the film thickness, LHM parameters, and Voigt permittivity. The results show that the proposed structure is sensitive to small changes in the cladding indicating that the structure is working as a sensor with high sensitivity. The parameters at which maximum sensitivity occur are obtained.