Interference effects on guided Cherenkov emission in silicon from perpendicular, oblique, and parallel boundaries

Journal Article · Sat May 15 00:00:00 EDT 2010 · Physical Review. B, Condensed Matter and Materials Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVB.81.195315· OSTI ID:21366826

Couillard, M; Yurtsever, A; Muller, D A ^[1]

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1. School of Applied and Engineering Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14850 (United States)

Waveguide electromagnetic modes excited by swift electrons traversing Si slabs at normal and oblique incidence are analyzed using monochromated electron energy-loss spectroscopy and interpreted using a local dielectric theory that includes relativistic effects. At normal incidence, sharp spectral features in the visible/near-infrared optical domain are directly assigned to p-polarized modes. When the specimen is tilted, s-polarized modes, which are completely absent at normal incidence, become visible in the loss spectra. In the tilted configuration, the dispersion of p-polarized modes is also modified. For tilt angles higher than approx50 deg. Cherenkov radiation, the phenomenon responsible for the excitation of waveguide modes, is expected to partially escape the silicon slab and the influence of this effect on experimental measurements is discussed. Finally, we find evidence for an interference effect at parallel Si/SiO{sub 2} interfaces, as well as a delocalized excitation of guided Cherenkov modes.

• OSTI ID: 21366826
• Journal Information: Physical Review. B, Condensed Matter and Materials Physics, Vol. 81, Issue 19; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevB.81.195315; (c) 2010 The American Physical Society; ISSN 1098-0121
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
CHERENKOV RADIATION
CONFIGURATION
DIELECTRIC MATERIALS
DISPERSIONS
ELECTRONS
EMISSION
ENERGY-LOSS SPECTROSCOPY
EXCITATION
INTERFACES
INTERFERENCE
LOSSES
RELATIVISTIC RANGE
SILICON
SILICON OXIDES
SLABS
SPECTRA
WAVEGUIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELECTRON SPECTROSCOPY
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
ELEMENTS
ENERGY RANGE
ENERGY-LEVEL TRANSITIONS
FERMIONS
LEPTONS
MATERIALS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
RADIATIONS
SEMIMETALS
SILICON COMPOUNDS
SPECTROSCOPY