Abstract
One of the main achievements of metamaterials research has been the development of structured matter exhibiting optical magnetism: first, in an array of microwave split-ring resonators and, soon after, in plasmonic and dielectric metamaterials at THz to visible frequencies. We show here that metamaterial structuring is not necessary to achieve optical magnetic response. Indeed, such a response is an essential characteristic of homogeneous dielectric thin films—Fabry–Pérot resonances, for example, depend on interference among electromagnetic multipoles including the magnetic dipole.
Highlights
We show here that an optical magnetic response is a characteristic feature of homogeneous, unstructured dielectric layers of sub-wavelength thickness
The vanishing of reflectivity at the fundamental FP resonance is a consequence of destructive interference among electric dipole (ED), magnetic dipole, and electric quadrupole (EQ) contributions
The multipolar nature of the optical response of a dielectric layer is a universal feature of thin films, and it is most pronounced in high refractive index media
Summary
The multipolar nature of the optical response of a dielectric layer is a universal feature of thin films, and it is most pronounced in high refractive index media. Well-known thin film properties, such as Fabry–Pérot (FP) interference resonances, cannot be explained without the magnetic contribution.
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