Active photonic metamaterials

Abstract

Nanostructured photonic metamaterials with narrow-band responses provide a promising platform for applications ranging from slow-light and polarization control to optical modulation and the 'lasing spaser'. We show that the introduction of functional (nonlinear, switchable, gain, etc.) media into such structures provides a powerful paradigm for the active control of their resonant properties, for the enhancement of nonlinear responses and for strong switching performance in sub-wavelength devices