Pure Reflection and Refraction of a Surface Polariton by a Matched Waveguide Structure

We study the fundamental problem of reflection and refraction of a surface polariton as it strikes the interface between two waveguide structures. By making the two waveguide structures match to each other, coupling of surface polaritons to radiating modes is cancelled, and the reflected and transmitted waves consist of only surface modes. The reflection and transmission coefficients are calculated, and negative refraction of surface polaritons is demonstrated. Finite-difference time-domain numerical simulations are also performed to verify the analytical results. As one of the applications of the matched waveguide structure, a square corner reflector for phase-retardation-free reflection of surface polaritons is proposed.