Lateral shifts and photon tunneling in a frustrated total internal reflection structure with a negative-zero-positive index metamaterial

Abstract

Motivated by the realization of the Dirac point (DP) with a double-cone structure for optical field in the negative-zero-positive index metamaterial (NZPIM), the lateral shift and tunneling time of photon tunneling through a frustrated total internal reflection structure containing a NZPIM barrier are investigated by employing Artman's stationary phase method. Near the DP, the lateral shift can vary from positive to negative and the photon tunneling displays a superluminal dynamic. Because of the Hartman effect, both lateral shift and tunneling time tend to a saturation value when the barrier thickness increases. These results may lead to potential applications in integral optics and optical-based devices and also suggest analogous phenomena of valance electron in single-layered carbon graphene.