An Investigation of P- and S-polarized Long-range Optical Modes Supported by a Strongly Absorbing Normal Uniaxial Thin Organic Film

We have shown previously an analysis of the p-polarized long-range modes (LRMs) which may be supported by an isotropic thin organic film. Here we extend the analysis to a uniaxial system. In addition since the analysis of p-polarized LRMs revealed counter-intuitive results which could not be expected from conventional guided wave theory we also analysed the situation for s-polarized modes in the hope that these too would exhibit surprising behaviour. To this end we have discovered a second LRM which is s-polarized and can be supported by a strongly absorbing isotropic thin film. Experimental data for the optical excitation of both p- and s-polarized modes are presented over the wavelength range (400–720) nm.