Compensating Losses in Optical Negative-Index Materials and New Frontiers in Nanophotonics
Abstract
The possibilities of compensating losses in negative index metamaterials (NIMs) are shown without the requirements of population inversion. The approach relies on coherent nonlinear-optical energy transfer from the control optical field(s) to the NI signal through three- (TWM) and four-wave mixing (FWM) propagation processes. The feasibilities of tailoring the transparency of plasmonic slabs from strongly opaque through fully transparent to amplifying states with the control laser(s) as well as the possibilities for unparallel applications of the discovered unique propagation properties are demonstrated. Two options are explored. One concerns the possibilities associated with the TWM nonlinearities intrinsic to the building blocks of the NIMs. The other one is aimed at independent engineering of resonantly enhanced FWM nonlinearities and NI. FWM nonlinearities are introduced by doping the host NIM with the resonant centers tailored by means of quantum control. The possibilities for creation of ultraminiature narrow-band frequency-tunable filters, reflectors, switches and cavityless generators of counter-propagating entangled right- and left- handed photons have been proved through numerical experiments.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 30, 2010
- Accession Number
- ADA534210
Entities
People
- Alexander K. Popov