130 research outputs found
Multistability at arbitrary low optical intensities in a metallo-dielectric layered structure
We show that a nonlinear metallo-dielectric layered slab of subwavelength
thickness and very small average dielectric permittivity displays optical
multistable behavior at arbitrary low optical intensities. This is due to the
fact that, in the presence of the small linear permittivity, one of the
multiple electromagnetic slab states exists no matter how small is the
transmitted optical intensity. We prove that multiple states at ultra-low
optical intensities can be reached only by simultaneously operating on the
incident optical intensity and incidence angle. By performing full wave
simulations, we prove that the predicted phenomenology is feasible and very
robust.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure
|\epsilon|-Near-Zero materials in the near-infrared
We consider a mixture of metal coated quantum dots dispersed in a polymer
matrix and, using a modified version of the standard Maxwell-Garnett mixing
rule, we prove that the mixture parameters (particles radius, quantum dots
gain, etc.) can be chosen so that the effective medium permittivity has an
absolute value very close to zero in the near-infrared, i.e. |Re(epsilon)|<<1
and |Im (epsilon)|<<1 at the same near-infrared wavelength. Resorting to
full-wave simulations, we investigate the accuracy of the effective medium
predictions and we relate their discrepancy with rigorous numerical results to
the fact that |epsilon|<<1 is a critical requirement. We show that a simple
method for reducing this discrepancy, and hence for achieving a prescribed
value of |\epsilon|, consists in a subsequent fine-tuning of the nanoparticles
volume filling fraction.Comment: 3 pages, 3 figure
Collision and fusion of counterpropagating micron-sized optical beams in non-uniformly biased photorefractive crystals
We theoretically investigate collision of optical beams travelling in
opposite directions through a centrosymmetric photorefractive crystal biased by
a spatially non-uniform voltage. We analytically predict the fusion of
counterpropagating solitons in conditions in which the applied voltage is
rapidly modulated along the propagation axis, so that self-bending is
suppressed by the "restoring symmetry" mechanism. Moreover, when the applied
voltage is slowly modulated, we predict that the modified self-bending allows
conditions in which the two beams fuse together, forming a curved light-channel
splice.Comment: 12 page
Transverse power flow reversing of confined waves in extreme nonlinear metamaterials
We theoretically prove that electromagnetic beams propagating through a
nonlinear cubic metamaterial can exhibit a power flow whose direction reverses
its sign along the transverse profile. This effect is peculiar of the hitherto
unexplored extreme nonlinear regime where the nonlinear response is comparable
or even greater than the linear contribution, a condition achievable even at
relatively small intensities. We propose a possible metamaterial structure able
to support the extreme conditions where the polarization cubic nonlinear
contribution does not act as a mere perturbation of the linear part
Two-peaked and flat-top perfect bright solitons in epsilon-near-zero nonlinear metamaterials: novel Kerr self-trapping mechanisms
We analytically investigate transverse magnetic (TM) spatial bright solitons,
as exact solutions of Maxwell's equations, propagating through nonlinear
metamaterials whose linear dielectric permittivity is very close to zero and
whose effective nonlinear Kerr parameters can be tailored to achieve values not
available in standard materials. Exploiting the fact that, in the considered
medium, linear and nonlinear polarization can be comparable at feasible and
realistic optical intensities, we identify two novel self-trapping mechanisms
able to support two-peaked and flat-top solitons, respectively. Specifically,
these two novel mechanisms are based on the occurrence of critical points at
which the effective nonlinear permittivity vanishes, the two mechanisms
differing in the way the compensation between linear and nonlinear polarization
is achieved through the non-standard values of the nonlinear parameters.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figure
Polarization and energy dynamics in ultrafocused optical Kerr propagation
Developing a complete vectorial description of optical nonparaxial propagation of highly focused beams in Kerr media, we disclose a family of new phenomena. These phenomena appear to emerge as a consequence of the mutual coupling of all three components of the optical field. This circumstance, which is intrinsic to the very nature of Kerr propagation, was previously discarded on the basis of the conjecture that a reduced system is possible in which only one transverse field component interacts with the longitudinal component
Azimuthally polarized spatial dark solitons: exact solutions of Maxwell's equations in a Kerr medium
Spatial Kerr solitons, typically associated with the standard paraxial
nonlinear Schroedinger equation, are shown to exist to all nonparaxial orders,
as exact solutions of Maxwell's equations in the presence of vectorial Kerr
effect. More precisely, we prove the existence of azimuthally polarized,
spatial, dark soliton solutions of Maxwell's equations, while exact linearly
polarized (2+1)-D solitons do not exist. Our ab initio approach predicts the
existence of dark solitons up to an upper value of the maximum field amplitude,
corresponding to a minimum soliton width of about one fourth of the wavelength.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure
Extreme nonlinear electrodynamics in metamaterials with very small linear dielectric permittivity
We consider a sub-wavelength periodic layered medium whose slabs are filled
by arbitrary linear metamaterials and standard nonlinear Kerr media and we show
that the homogenized medium behaves as a Kerr medium whose parameters can
assume values not available in standard materials. Exploiting such a parameter
availability, we focus on the situation where the linear relative dielectric
permittivity is very small thus allowing the observation of the extreme
nonlinear regime where the nonlinear polarization is comparable with or even
greater than the linear part of the overall dielectric response. The behavior
of the electromagnetic field in the extreme nonlinear regime is very peculiar
and characterized by novel features as, for example, the transverse power flow
reversing. In order to probe the novel regime, we consider a class of fields
(transverse magnetic nonlinear guided waves) admitting full analytical
description and we show that these waves are allowed to propagate even in media
with since the nonlinear polarization produces a
positive overall effective permittivity. The considered nonlinear waves
exhibit, in addition to the mentioned features, a number of interesting
properties like hyper-focusing induced by the phase difference between the
field components.Comment: 12 pages, 7 figure
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