Short-Pulsed Metamaterials.

We study a class of temporal metamaterials characterized by time-varying dielectric permittivity waveforms of duration much smaller than the characteristic wave-dynamical timescale. In the analogy between spatial and temporal metamaterials, such a short-pulsed regime can be viewed as the temporal counterpart of metasurfaces. We introduce a general and compact analytical formalism for modeling the interaction of a short-pulsed metamaterial with an electromagnetic wave packet. Specifically, we elucidate the role of local and nonlocal effects, as well as the time-reversal symmetry breaking, and we show how they can be harnessed to perform elementary analog computing, such as first and second derivatives. Our theory validated against full-wave numerical simulations suggests a novel route for manipulating electromagnetic waves without relying on long, periodic temporal modulations. Just as metasurfaces have played a pivotal role in the technological viability and practical applicability of conventional (spatial) metamaterials, short-pulsed metamaterials may catalyze the development of temporal and space-time metamaterials.

Non-Hermitian doping of epsilon-near-zero media.

In solid-state physics, "doping" is a pivotal concept that allows controlling and engineering of the macroscopic electronic and optical properties of materials such as semiconductors by judiciously introducing small concentrations of impurities. Recently, this concept has been translated to two-dimensional photonic scenarios in connection with host media characterized by vanishingly small relative permittivity ("epsilon near zero"), showing that it is possible to obtain broadly tunable effective magnetic responses by introducing a single, nonmagnetic doping particle at an arbitrary position. So far, this phenomenon has been studied mostly for lossless configurations. In principle, the inevitable presence of material losses can be compensated via optical gain. However, taking inspiration from quantum (e.g., parity-time) symmetries that are eliciting growing attention in the emerging fields of non-Hermitian optics and photonics, this suggests considering more general gain-loss interactions. Here, we theoretically show that the photonic doping concept can be extended to non-Hermitian scenarios characterized by tailored distributions of gain and loss in either the doping particles or the host medium. In these scenarios, the effective permeability can be modeled as a complex-valued quantity (with the imaginary part accounting for the gain or loss), which can be tailored over broad regions of the complex plane. This enables a variety of unconventional optical responses and waveguiding mechanisms, which can be, in principle, reconfigured by varying the optical gain (e.g., via optical pumping). We envision several possible applications of this concept, including reconfigurable nanophotonics platforms and optical sensing, which motivate further studies for their experimental validation.

Effects of deterministic disorder at deeply subwavelength scales in multilayered dielectric metamaterials.

It is common understanding that multilayered dielectric metamaterials, in the regime of deeply subwavelength layers, are accurately described by simple effective-medium models based on mixing formulas that do not depend on the spatial arrangement. In the wake of recent studies that have shown counterintuitive examples of periodic and aperiodic (orderly or random) scenarios in which this premise breaks down, we study here the effects of deterministic disorder. With specific reference to a model based on Golay-Rudin-Shapiro sequences, we illustrate certain peculiar boundary effects that can occur in finite-size dielectric multilayers, leading to anomalous light-transport properties that are in stark contrast with the predictions from conventional effective-medium theory. Via parametric and comparative studies, we elucidate the underlying physical mechanisms, also highlighting similarities and differences with respect to previously studied geometries. Our outcomes may inspire potential applications to optical sensing, switching and lasing.

Breaking Reciprocity with Space-Time-Coding Digital Metasurfaces.

Metasurfaces are artificially engineered ultrathin structures that can finely tailor and control electromagnetic wavefronts. There is currently a strong interest in exploring their capability to lift some fundamental limitations dictated by Lorentz reciprocity, which have strong implications in communication, heat management, and energy harvesting. Time-varying approaches have emerged as attractive alternatives to conventional schemes relying on magnetic or nonlinear materials, but experimental evidence is currently limited to devices such as circulators and antennas. Here, the recently proposed concept of space-time-coding digital metasurfaces is leveraged to break reciprocity. Moreover, it is shown that such nonreciprocal effects can be controlled dynamically. This approach relies on inducing suitable spatiotemporal phase gradients in a programmable way via digital modulation of the metasurface-elements' phase repsonse, which enable anomalous reflections accompanied by frequency conversions. A prototype operating at microwave frequencies is designed and fabricated for proof-of-concept validation. Measured results are in good agreement with theory, hence providing the first experimental evidence of nonreciprocal reflection effects enabled by space-time-modulated digital metasurfaces. The proposed concept and platform set the stage for "on-demand" realization of nonreciprocal effects, in programmable or reconfigurable fashions, which may find several promising applications, including frequency conversion, Doppler frequency illusion, optical isolation, and unidirectional transmission.

Space-time-coding digital metasurfaces.

The recently proposed digital coding metasurfaces make it possible to control electromagnetic (EM) waves in real time, and allow the implementation of many different functionalities in a programmable way. However, current configurations are only space-encoded, and do not exploit the temporal dimension. Here, we propose a general theory of space-time modulated digital coding metasurfaces to obtain simultaneous manipulations of EM waves in both space and frequency domains, i.e., to control the propagation direction and harmonic power distribution simultaneously. As proof-of-principle application examples, we consider harmonic beam steering, beam shaping, and scattering-signature control. For validation, we realize a prototype controlled by a field-programmable gate array, which implements the harmonic beam steering via an optimized space-time coding sequence. Numerical and experimental results, in good agreement, demonstrate good performance of the proposed approach, with potential applications to diverse fields such as wireless communications, cognitive radars, adaptive beamforming, holographic imaging.

Suboptimal Coding Metasurfaces for Terahertz Diffuse Scattering.

Coding metasurfaces, composed of only two types of elements arranged according to a binary code, are attracting a steadily increasing interest in many application scenarios. In this study, we apply this concept to attain diffuse scattering at THz frequencies. Building up on previously derived theoretical results, we carry out a suboptimal metasurface design based on a simple, deterministic and computationally inexpensive algorithm that can be applied to arbitrarily large structures. For experimental validation, we fabricate and characterize three prototypes working at 1 THz, which, in accordance with numerical predictions, exhibit significant reductions of the radar cross-section, with reasonably good frequency and angular stability. Besides the radar-signature control, our results may also find potentially interesting applications to diffusive imaging, computational imaging, and (scaled to optical wavelengths) photovoltaics.

Optical fiber meta-tips.

We report on the first demonstration of a proof-of-principle optical fiber 'meta-tip', which integrates a phase-gradient plasmonic metasurface on the fiber tip. For illustration and validation purposes, we present numerical and experimental results pertaining to various prototypes implementing generalized forms of the Snell's transmission/reflection laws at near-infrared wavelengths. In particular, we demonstrate several examples of beam steering and coupling with surface waves, in fairly good agreement with theory. Our results constitute a first step toward the integration of unprecedented (metasurface-enabled) light-manipulation capabilities in optical-fiber technology. By further enriching the emergent 'lab-on-fiber' framework, this may pave the way for the widespread diffusion of optical metasurfaces in real-world applications to communications, signal processing, imaging and sensing.

Grating-coupling-based excitation of Bloch surface waves for lab-on-fiber optrodes.

In this paper, we investigate the possibility to excite Bloch surface waves (BSWs) on the tip of single-mode optical fibers. Within this framework, after exploring an idealized, proof-of-principle grating-coupling-based scheme for on-tip excitation of BSWs, we focus on an alternative configuration that is more robust with respect to fabrication-related non-idealities. Subsequently, with a view towards label-free chemical and biological sensing, we present a specific design aimed at enhancing the sensitivity (in terms of wavelength shift) of the arising resonance with respect to changes in the refractive properties of the surrounding environment. Numerical results indicate that the attained sensitivities are in line with those exhibited by state-of-the-art plasmonic bioprobes, with the key advantage of exhibiting much narrower spectral resonances. This prototype study paves the way for a new class of miniaturized high-performance surface-wave fiber-optic devices for high-resolution label-free optical biosensing, and represents an important step forward in the "lab-on-fiber" technology roadmap.

Supersymmetry-inspired non-Hermitian optical couplers.

Supersymmetry has been shown to provide a systematic and effective framework for generating classes of isospectral optical structures featuring perfectly-phase-matched modes, with the exception of one (fundamental) mode which can be removed. More recently, this approach has been extended to non-Hermitian scenarios characterized by spatially-modulated distributions of optical loss and gain, in order to allow the removal of higher-order modes as well. In this paper, we apply this approach to the design of non-Hermitian optical couplers with higher-order mode-selection functionalities, with potential applications to mode-division multiplexing in optical links. In particular, we highlight the critical role of the coupling between non-Hermitian optical waveguides, which generally induces a phase transition to a complex eigenspectrum, thereby hindering the targeted mode-selection functionality. With the specific example of an optical coupler that selects the second-order mode of a given waveguide, we illustrate the aforementioned limitations and propose possible strategies to overcome them, bearing in mind the practical feasibility of the gain levels required.

Performing mathematical operations with metamaterials.

We introduce the concept of metamaterial analog computing, based on suitably designed metamaterial blocks that can perform mathematical operations (such as spatial differentiation, integration, or convolution) on the profile of an impinging wave as it propagates through these blocks. Two approaches are presented to achieve such functionality: (i) subwavelength structured metascreens combined with graded-index waveguides and (ii) multilayered slabs designed to achieve a desired spatial Green's function. Both techniques offer the possibility of miniaturized, potentially integrable, wave-based computing systems that are thinner than conventional lens-based optical signal and data processors by several orders of magnitude.

PT metamaterials via complex-coordinate transformation optics.

We extend the transformation-optics paradigm to a complex spatial coordinate domain, in order to deal with electromagnetic metamaterials characterized by balanced loss and gain, giving special emphasis to parity-time (PT) symmetric metamaterials. We apply this general theory to complex-source-point radiation and anisotropic transmission resonances, illustrating the capability and potentials of our approach in terms of systematic design, analytical modeling, and physical insights into complex-coordinate wave objects and resonant states.

Nonlocal transformation optics.

We show that the powerful framework of transformation optics may be exploited for engineering the nonlocal response of artificial electromagnetic materials. Relying on the form-invariant properties of coordinate-transformed Maxwell's equations in the spectral domain, we derive the general constitutive "blueprints" of transformation media yielding prescribed nonlocal field-manipulation effects and provide a physically incisive and powerful geometrical interpretation in terms of deformation of the equifrequency contours. In order to illustrate the potentials of our approach, we present an example of application to a wave-splitting refraction scenario, which may be implemented via a simple class of artificial materials. Our results provide a systematic and versatile framework which may open intriguing venues in dispersion engineering of artificial materials.

Tuning efficiency and sensitivity of guided resonances in photonic crystals and quasi-crystals: a comparative study.

In this paper, we present a comparative study of the tuning efficiency and sensitivity of guided resonances (GRs) in photonic crystal (PC) holed slabs based on periodic and aperiodically-ordered unit cells, aimed at assessing the applicability of these important technology platforms to ultra-compact optical sensors and active devices. In particular, with specific reference to square-lattice periodic PCs and aperiodically-ordered Ammann-Beenker photonic quasi-crystals, we study the effects of the hole radius, slab thickness, and refractive index on the GR sensitivity and tunability with respect to variation in the hole refractive index. Finally, we carry out a theoretical and numerical analysis in order to correlate the GR shift with the field distribution of the unperturbed (air holes) structures. Our results indicate that the spatial arrangement of the holes may strongly influence the tuning and sensitivity efficiency, and may provide new degrees of freedom and tools for the design and optimization of novel photonic devices for both sensing and telecommunication applications.

Experimental evidence of cut-wire-induced enhanced transmission of transverse-electric fields through sub-wavelength slits in a thin metallic screen.

Recent numerical studies have demonstrated the possibility of achieving substantial enhancements in the transmission of transverse-electric-polarized electromagnetic fields through subwavelength slits in a thin metallic screen by placing single or paired metallic cut-wire arrays at a close distance from the screen. In this paper, we report on the first experimental evidence of such extraordinary transmission phenomena, via microwave (X/Ku-band) measurements on printed-circuit-board prototypes. Experimental results agree very well with full-wave numerical predictions, and indicate an intrinsic robustness of the enhanced transmission phenomena with respect to fabrication tolerances and experimental imperfections.

Guided resonances in photonic crystals with point-defected aperiodically-ordered supercells.

In this paper, we study the excitation of guided resonances (GRs) in photonic-crystal slabs based on point-defected aperiodically-ordered supercells. With specific reference to perforated-slab structures and the Ammann-Beenker octagonal lattice geometry, we carry out full-wave numerical studies of the plane-wave responses and of the underlying modal structures, which illustrate the representative effects induced by the introduction of symmetry-preserving and symmetry-breaking defects. Our results demonstrate that breaking the supercell mirror symmetries via the judicious introduction of point-defects enables for the excitation of otherwise uncoupled GRs, with control on the symmetry properties of their field distributions, thereby constituting an attractive alternative to those GR-engineering approaches based on the asymmetrization of the hole shape. In this framework, aperiodically-ordered supercells seem to be inherently suited, in view of the variety of inequivalent defect sites that they can offer.

Guided resonances in photonic quasicrystals.

In this paper, we report on the first evidence of guided resonances (GRs) in aperiodically-ordered photonic crystals, tied to the concept of "quasicrystals" in solid-state physics. Via a full-wave numerical study of the transmittance response and the modal structure of a photonic quasicrystal (PQC) slab based on a representative aperiodic geometry (Ammann-Beenker octagonal tiling), we demonstrate the possibility of exciting GR modes, and highlight similarities and differences with the periodic case. In particular, we show that, as for the periodic case, GRs arise from the coupling of the incident plane-wave with degenerate modes of the PQC slab that exhibit a matching symmetry in the spatial distribution, and can still be parameterized via a Fano-like model. Besides the phenomenological implications, our results may provide new degrees of freedom in the engineering of GRs, and pave the way for new developments and applications.

Cloak/anti-cloak interactions.

Coordinate-transformation cloaking is based on the design of a metamaterial shell made of an anisotropic, spatially inhomogeneous "transformation medium" that allows rerouting the impinging wave around a given region of space. In its original version, it is generally believed that, in the ideal limit, the radiation cannot penetrate the cloaking shell (from outside to inside, and viceversa). However, it was recently shown by Chen et al. that electromagnetic fields may actually penetrate the cloaked region, provided that this region contains double-negative transformation media which, via proper design, may be in principle used to (partially or totally) "undo" the cloaking transformation, thereby acting as an "anti-cloak." In this paper, we further elaborate this concept, by considering a more general scenario of cloak/anti-cloak interactions. Our full-wave analytical study provides new insightful results and explores the effects of departure from ideality, suggesting also some novel scenarios for potential applications.