Abstract
Backward electromagnetic waves are extraordinary waves with contra-directed phase velocity and energy flux. Unusual properties of the coherent nonlinear optical coupling of the phase-matched ordinary and backward electromagnetic waves with contra-directed energy fluxes are described that enable greatly-enhanced frequency and propagation direction conversion, parametrical amplification, as well as control of shape of the light pulses. Extraordinary transient processes that emerge in such metamaterials in pulsed regimes are described. The results of the numerical simulation of particular plasmonic metamaterials with hyperbolic dispersion are presented, which prove the possibility to match phases of such coupled guided ordinary and backward electromagnetic waves. Particular properties of the outlined processes in the proposed metamaterial are demonstrated through numerical simulations. Potential applications include ultra-miniature amplifiers, frequency changing reflectors, modulators, pulse shapers, and remotely actuated sensors.
Highlights
The concept of electromagnetic waves (EMWs) with co-directed phase velocity and energy flux is commonly accepted in optics and is true for natural isotropic materials
Normalized amplitudes of the waves are given by the following equations, which account for the fact that the propagation direction of the backward electromagnetic waves (BEMWs) at ω1 must be opposite to others in order to have all phase velocity co-directed and to achieve phase matching (Figure 1b)
The opposite direction of phase velocity and energy flux in BEMWs gives rise to extraordinary transient processes, which cause a change in the output pulse shapes and a delay in the formation of their maximums
Summary
The concept of electromagnetic waves (EMWs) with co-directed phase velocity and energy flux is commonly accepted in optics and is true for natural isotropic materials. A related research direction of the primary importance is the nanoengineering of the MMs that could support the coexistence of ordinary and BEMWS, which would satisfy the photon energy conservation requirement, travelling with equal co-directed phase velocities while having opposite group velocities. This paper addresses both outlined challenges of nanoengineering and nonlinear electrodynamics with BEMWs. Theoretical studies and numerical demonstrations are described towards merging nonlinear optics and metamaterials, which pave ways for extraordinary manipulation of light through coherent nonlinear coupling of light waves in deliberately engineered spatially dispersive metamaterials. The possibilities for nanoengineering of a family of novel NLO MMs, which would allow for phase matching of ordinary and backward light waves and for its tailoring to a broad range of frequencies, are demonstrated
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