Slightly high index inclusion metamaterials: a novel physical and feasible route to enhance and harness spatial dispersion
Abstract
The aim of the proposal is the investigation of multilayered metamaterials with low average permittivity and comprising slightly high index inclusions. We expect such class of Slightly High Index inclusion Metamaterials (SHIMs) to support a peculiar electrodynamic behavior driven by optical nonlocalities since we believe that the structure can trigger an unprecedented competition of first and second order spatial dispersions which become comparable due to a dramatic and non-resonant enhancement. Such an unusual competition would provide various dispersion regimes supporting additional waves and topological phase transitions, essential ingredients for achieving a remarkable radiation steering functionality. The proposed metamaterials would be feasible even in the optical range since they do not resort to the high index inclusion condition for enhancing second order spatial dispersion effects. In comparison with other spatial dispersion enhancement strategies, since the inclusion permittivity is slightly high (as defined above), our method for tailoring the SHIM response would not be severely hampered by the lack of materials with very high dielectric permittivity. The SHIM structure is expected to trigger a novel physical mechanism boosting at the same time both electromagnetic chirality and second order nonlocality to the point of achieving their competition, in striking contrast to essentially all the other situation hitherto investigated. We believe that SHIMs and their extension to higher dimensional structures could play a pivotal role for conceiving a novel class of metamaterials and radiation steering devices where optical nonlocality is fully exploited even in the optical range.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Oct 17, 2018
- Source ID
- W911NF1710505
Entities
People
- Alesandro Ciattoni
Organizations
- Army Contracting Command
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche
- United States Army