Propagation of Electromagnetic Waves along a Compact Nerve Fiber in the Optical and Infrared Ranges

A study is made of the guiding properties of a nerve fiber consisting of myelinated axons as applied to electromagnetic waves in the optical and infrared ranges. Using a rigorous representation of the electromagnetic field in the presence of a nerve fiber, the dispersion characteristics and field distributions of modes guided by the fiber are analyzed for different values of the dielectric permittivity of myelin. It is found that such a complex waveguide of natural origin is capable of supporting the propagation of weakly attenuated modes in the indicated ranges. It is shown that the dispersion properties and field structures of the modes of the nerve fiber can differ significantly from those of a single axon.