<i>p</i>-Polarized Nonlinear Surface Waves in Symmetric Layered Structures

Abstract

An exact solution of Maxwell's equations is found, corresponding to a p-polarized nonlinear surface wave propagating in a symmetric layered structure. The system under consideration consists of a layer with a linear dielectric constant 1 bounded at two sides by a nonlinear medium characterized by the diagonal dielectric tensor 11 = 22 = ⊥ + α(|E1|2 +|E2|2), 33 = ||. It is shown that besides symmetric and antisymmetric modes there exist asymmetric modes at power flows exceeding some certain minimal value. We have found also bistable states of p-polarized nonlinear surface waves provided that the power flow in the wave is the control parameter.