Propagation of infrared radiation in hollow microstructural cylindrical waveguides

Theoretical and numerical results are presented on the propagation of infrared radiation in TE₀₁-, TM₀₁-, and TE₁₁-like modes in an empty cylindrical, gold-coated waveguide of micron dimensions. Low-loss propagation is possible for the TE₀₁-like mode, whose configuration is similar to that of the TE₀₁ mode in a guide with perfectly conducting walls. Propagation is more lossy for the TM₀₁- and TE₁₁-like modes. While for small guide radii these modes resemble the TM₀₁ and TE₁₁ modes in a guide with perfectly conducting walls, they transform into surface waves as the guide radius is increased, with losses that are independent of guide radius