Temporal switching to extend the bandwidth of thin absorbers

Abstract

Wave absorption in time-invariant, passive thin films is fundamentally limited by a trade-off between bandwidth and overall thickness. In this work, we investigate the use of temporal switching to reduce signal reflections from a thin grounded slab over broader bandwidths. We extend quasi-normal mode theory to time switching, developing an ab initio formalism that can model a broad class of time-switched structures. Our formalism provides optimal switching strategies to maximize the bandwidth over which minimal reflection is achieved, showing promising prospects for time-switched nanophotonic and metamaterial systems to overcome the limits of time-invariant, passive structures.

Document Details

Document Type
Pub Defense Publication
Publication Date
Dec 24, 2020
Source ID
10.1364/optica.408399

Entities

People

  • Andrea Alù
  • Huanan Li

Organizations

  • Air Force Office of Scientific Research
  • Simons Foundation
  • United States Department of Defense

Tags

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Adaptive Control and Estimation with Uncertainty in Dynamic Systems.
  • Nanofabrication and Microfabrication.
  • Optical Physics and Photonics.

Technology Areas

  • Microelectronics