Dyakonov surface waves: A review

The interface of two semi-infinite media, where at least one of them is a birefringent crystal, supports a special type of surface wave that was predicted theoretically by D'yakonov in 1988. Since then, the properties of such waves, which exist in transparent media only under very special conditions, have been analyzed in different geometries and settings. Nevertheless, they are still awaiting experimental demonstration. The most important advances in this topic are briefly discussed in this review, pointing out aspects that have not been clearly covered by the literature. Finally, the existence of these surface waves in specific material examples is analyzed, discussing the challenge posed by their experimental observation.