Incorporating polaritonic effects in semiconductor nanowire waveguide dispersion

We present the calculated and measured energy-propagation constant (E-β) dispersion of CdS nanowire waveguides at room temperature, where we include dispersive effects via the exciton-polariton model using physical parameters instead of a phenomenological equation. The experimental data match well with our model while the phenomenological equation fails to capture effects originating due to light-matter interaction in nanoscale cavities. Due to the excitonic-polaritonic effects, the group index of the guided light peaks close to the band edge, which can have important implications for optical switching and sensor applications.