Nonlinearities and Wave Mixing Properties of Negative Index Materials (Nanotechnology Initiative)

Abstract

Abstract : The primary goal of this project was to develop new ideas in the area of nonlinearities in negative refractive index media, with particular focus on the optical regime as this is a regime that exhibits strong nonlinearities. As metamaterials are composed of sub-wavelength unit cells by their very nature, metamaterials in the optical regime are nanostructures. Thus, the research directly addressed novel nonlinear effects in nanostructured negative index metamaterials. The specific nonlinearities that were studied were the nonlinear susceptibilities, nonlinear wave-mixing, and long wave short wave resonance properties of negative refractive index media. The research in this area revealed that nonlinear metamaterials could be used for distortion/nonlinearity compensation, perfectly phase matched wavelength conversion and terahertz generation from optical pulses.