Regular papers

Effective spectral optical functions of lamellar nanogratings

¹ Laboratory of Physics of Interfaces and Thin Films, Ecole Polytechnique, Route de Saclay, 91128 Palaiseau Cedex, France
² Department of Physics, Technical University of Ostrava, 17. listopadu 15, 708 33 Ostrava–Poruba, Czech Republic
³ Laboratory of Magnetism, Institute of Experimental Physics, University of Bialystok, 41 Lipowa Street, 15-424 Bialystok, Poland

^a marfol@gmail.com
^b kamil.postava@vsb.cz
^c razvigor.ossikovski@polytechnique.edu
^d martino@leonardo.polytechnique.fr
^e enric.garcia-caurel@polytechnique.edu

Received: 24 July 2006

Abstract

Spectral properties of lamellar sub-wavelength gratings (nanogratings) are described by effective medium approximation (EMA). Analytical spectral formulae for ordinary and extraordinary effective optical functions are derived for nanogratings consisting of material described by Sellmeier, damped harmonic oscillator, and Drude formulae. Spectral origin for birefringence of dielectric nanogratings and linear dichroism for absorbing ones is discussed for model cases and gratings consisting of real natural materials. Simple approximation by zero-order diffraction is compared with rigorous modeling based on Rigorous Coupled Wave Analysis (RCWA). Limits of applicability of effective medium approximation is discussed in the spectral domain.