Determination of refractive index in planar waveguides

Abstract

Nanolayered waveguides with quantum wells possess birefringence properties, even those based on isotropic materials. The most sensitive methods of studying birefringence properties in nanowaveguides are the methods of interference spectroscopy. A typical image of interference can be observed in the interference spectra of birefringent nanostructures. The elaborated method permits to analyze the spectral dependence of the refractive index for the ordinary (Ер) and extraordinary (Еs) lightwaves from absorption or reflection interference spectra of nanolayers. The maxima and minima positions of the interference spectra can be determined using simple PC software „Origin”.