Multiple optical Tamm states at a metal-dielectric mirror interface

The reflectivity map is theoretically investigated by applying the transfer matrix method in a metal-dielectric mirror structure at normal incidence. The existence of multiple optical Tamm states (OTSs) is demonstrated in this structure. It is found that an OTS is periodic resonance with the variation of the top-layer thickness of the dielectric mirror for a given wavelength. The energy for the corresponding OTS mainly depends on the thickness of the top layer. The appropriate thicknesses of metal film are proposed for the convenient observation of OTSs. This work may be useful in designing a new type of multichannel filter in optical communication systems. (C) 2010 Optical Society of America