Pure nonlinear optical activity in metamaterials

We demonstrate a type of meta-atom for creating metamaterials with giant nonlinear optical activity but vanishing linear optical activity in a wide frequency range. Such properties are not found in any natural materials, and we call this regime as pure nonlinear optical activity. We further extend our design concept and show that the metamaterial can be tuned dynamically to exhibit either positive or negative polarization rotation.The work was supported by the Australian Research Council through Discovery Projects scheme

Enhanced parametric processes in binary metamaterials

We suggest double-resonant (binary) metamaterials composed of two types of magnetic resonant elements, and demonstrate that in the nonlinear regime such metamaterials provide unique possibilities for phase-matched parametric interaction and enhanced second-harmonic generation

Multistability in nonlinear left-handed transmission lines

Employing a nonlinear left-handed transmission line as a model system, we demonstrate experimentally the multi-stability phenomena predicted theoretically for microstructured left-handed metamaterials with a nonlinear response. We show that the bistability is associated with the period doubling which at higher power may result in chaotic dynamics of the transmission line

Giant Goos-Hanchen effect at the reflection from left-handed metamaterials

We study the beam reflection from a layered structure with a left-handed metamaterial. We predict a giant lateral (Goos-Hanchen) shift and splitting of the beam due to the resonant excitation of surface polaritons with a vortex-like energy flow between the right- and left-handed materials

Double-nonlinear metamaterials

We study a double-nonlinear metamaterial composed of a mixture of both nonlinear electric and nonlinear magnetic resonators. We predict multistable behavior in such metamaterial with the possibility to control the effective index of refraction by the electromagnetic field intensity. In contrast to the structure with just one type of nonlinear inclusions, our composite material may switch properties between the transparent negative index and the transparent positive index regimes.Authors would like to acknowledge the support from the Australian Research Council, from the National Natural Science Foundation of China Grant No. 60878008, from the New Teacher Foundation of Ministry of Education of China Grant No. 200801081014, and from the Natural Science Foundation of Shanxi Province Grant No. 2008012002-1

Tunable split-ring resonators for nonlinear negative-index metamaterials

We study experimentally the dynamic tunability and self-induced nonlinearity of split-ring resonators incorporating variable capacitance diodes. We demonstrate that the eigenfrequencies of the resonators can be tuned over a wide frequency range, and significantly, we show that the self-induced nonlinear effects observed in the varactor-loaded split-ring resonator structures can appear at relatively low power levels.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure

Surface Bloch waves in metamaterial and metal-dielectric superlattices

We study the properties of electromagnetic Bloch waves in semi-infinite periodic structures created by alternating metamaterial and dielectric layers. We derive and analyze the dispersion relations in the long-wavelength limit for both TE- and TM-polarized surface Bloch modes, for magnetic metamaterials with negative refraction and metal-dielectric plasmonic superlattices. We reveal that in the subwavelength regime the bulk modes are characterized by three different refractive indices ("tri-refringence") while the surface modes can propagate parallel to the Bloch wavevector and along the interface between superlattice and semi-infinite dielectric.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Nonlinear guided waves and symmetry breaking in left-handed waveguides

We analyze nonlinear guided waves in a planar waveguide made of a left-handed material surrounded by a Kerr-like nonlinear dielectric. We predict that such a waveguide can support fast and slow symmetric and antisymmetric nonlinear modes. We study the symmetry breaking bifurcation and asymmetric modes in such a symmetric structure. We analyze nonlinear dispersion properties of the guided waves, and show that the modes can be both forward and backward.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure