Photonic-crystal slab mode excitation using charged particles

Electromagnetic modes of photonic-crystal slabs can be excited by charged particles which remain outside the slab. The theory assumes a classical trajectory for the particle and computes the dielectric response of the slab photonic structure to the Coulomb fields emitted by the moving charge. The power applied by this response force on the charged particle describes the energy transfer between the charge and the electromagnetic modes of the slab. It is shown that the photonic crystal film responds according to an effective dielectric function which is easily calculated using a transfer matrix scheme.