The phenomenon of conical refraction in a thin-layer periodic semiconductor-dielectric structure in a magnetic field

The propagation of electromagnetic waves along the optical axes of a thin-layer periodic semiconductor-dielectric structure in an external magnetic field (i.e., under conditions of external and internal conical refraction) has been investigated. It is shown that the conditions for conical refraction can be implemented in certain regions by changing the external magnetic field, wave frequency, and thickness of the layers forming the structure. By varying the above-mentioned characteristics, one can efficiently control the conical refraction parameters; in particular, the opening angles of the cone of internal and external conical refraction and the inclination of the optical axes with respect to the periodicity axis can be varied in a wide range. The results of this study may be useful for designing millimeter-wave, submillimeter-wave, and IR devices.