Abstract: A waveguide for decreasing signal propagation delay including an evanescent region and an amplification region. In various embodiments, the evanescent region includes varying index of refraction regions, such as one or more thin film regions and one or more fiber Bragg grating regions, one or more frustrated internal reflection constructs, or one or more undersized waveguides. In various embodiments, the amplification region includes doped amplifiers and other amplifier types that use propagated pump photons to provide amplification, or semiconductor amplifiers or other amplifier types that use electrical power to provide amplification. A method for decreasing signal propagation delay includes propagating a signal having a signal frequency into an evanescent region. After propagation through the evanescent region, amplifying the attenuated signal.