Bloch Surface Waves on Dielectric One-Dimensional Photonic Crystals: Fundamental Properties and Applications

In this review, we discuss recent progress and the latest advances in Bloch surface waves - an emerging and rapidly evolving field that has opened up a wide range of powerful possibilities in optics and photonics. The remarkable capabilities of this unique class of surface electromagnetic waves arise from the resonant coupling between incident light and the interfaces between a photonic crystal and an external medium. Here, we restrict the analysis to Bloch modes sustained at the interface between a one-dimensional photonic crystal and a homogeneous medium. By carefully engineering the geometry and materials of the photonic crystals, the dispersion relation of Bloch modes can be finely tuned, resulting in a distinctive optical response across an exceptionally broad spectral range. These extraordinary photonic properties enable numerous applications, including surface-wave-coupled luminescence emission, nonlinear optics, surface-wave-enhanced diffraction, optical biosensing, high-resolution optical microscopy, the development of novel integrated photonic devices, compact lasers, and advanced light-harvesting and light-emitting systems.