Mohammad Albooyeh

Perfect control of reflection and refraction using spatially dispersive metasurfaces

Nonuniform metasurfaces (electrically thin composite layers) can be used for shaping refracted and reflected electromagnetic waves. However, known design approaches based on the generalized refraction and reflection laws do not allow realization of perfectly performing devices: there are always some parasitic reflections into undesired directions. In this paper we introduce and discuss a general approach to the synthesis of metasurfaces for full control of transmitted and reflected plane waves and show that perfect performance can be realized. The method is based on the use of an equivalent impedance matrix model which connects the tangential field components at the two sides on the metasurface. With this approach we are able to understand what physical properties of the metasurface are needed in order to perfectly realize the desired response. Furthermore, we determine the required polarizabilities of the metasurface unit cells and discuss suitable cell structures. It appears that only spatially dispersive metasurfaces allow realization of perfect refraction and reflection of incident plane waves into arbitrary directions. In particular, ideal refraction is possible only if the metasurface is bianisotropic (weak spatial dispersion), and ideal reflection without polarization transformation requires spatial dispersion with a specific, strongly nonlocal response to the fields.

Flat Engineered Multichannel Reflectors

Recent advances in engineered gradient metasurfaces have enabled unprecedented opportunities for light manipulation using optically thin sheets, such as anomalous refraction, reflection, or focusing of an incident beam. Here we introduce a concept of multi-channel functional metasurfaces, which are able to control incoming and outgoing waves in a number of propagation directions simultaneously. In particular, we reveal a possibility to engineer multi-channel reflectors. Under the assumption of reciprocity and energy conservation, we find that there exist three basic functionalities of such reflectors: Specular, anomalous, and retro reflections. Multi-channel response of a general flat reflector can be described by a combination of these functionalities. To demonstrate the potential of the introduced concept, we design and experimentally test three different multi-channel reflectors: Three- and five-channel retro-reflectors and a three-channel power splitter. Furthermore, by extending the concept to reflectors supporting higher-order Floquet harmonics, we forecast the emergence of other multiple-channel flat devices, such as isolating mirrors, complex splitters, and multi-functional gratings.

Theory of metasurface based perfect absorbers

Based on an analytic approach, we present a theoretical review on the absorption, scattering, and extinction of both dipole scatterers and regular arrays composed of such scatterers i.e., metasurfaces. Besides offering a tutorial by outlining the maximum absorption limit for electrically/magnetically resonant dipole particles/metasurfaces, we give an educative analytical approach to their analysis. Moreover, we put forward the analysis of two known alternatives in providing perfect absorbers out of electrically and or magnetically resonant metasurfaces; one is based on the simultaneous presence of both electric and magnetic responses in so called Huygens metasurfaces while the other is established upon the presence of a back reflector in so called Salisbury absorbers. Our work is supported by several numerical examples to clarify the discussions in each stage.

Enantiospecific Detection of Chiral Nanosamples Using Photoinduced Force

Author(s): Kamandi, M; Albooyeh, M; Guclu, C; Veysi, M; Zeng, J; Wickramasinghe, K; Capolino, F | Abstract:

Analysis of Metasurfaces at Oblique Incidence

The theory of analytical modeling of periodic metasurfaces for normal incidence is extended to the general oblique case. The metasurface is considered as a periodic planar array with electrically small dipolar scatterers. The induced polarization currents are calculated by combining the information obtained from the response of individual scatterer to the incident wave and the interaction of scatterers with each other. All required interaction coefficients for the most general analysis of metasurfaces are analytically derived. The expressions in terms of the polarization currents are presented for the reflected/transmitted fields from metasurfaces at oblique illumination. Although theoretically known that adding normal polarization currents to the tangential ones will not provide extra degrees of freedom in the manipulation of the reflection and transmission properties of metasurfaces, in most practical applications, it is required to consider both tangential as well as normal polarization currents. Thus, the effect of oblique illumination in the modification of normal and tangential polarization currents is clarified. Our theory is used to analyze two canonical examples of bianisotropic metasurfaces composed of chiral and omega inclusions. The results of this paper provide an effective tool to push the analysis as well as the synthesis of metasurfaces one step forward.

Cylindrical metasurfaces for exotic electromagnetic wave manipulations

We present closed-boundary cylindrical metasurfaces for the manipulation of electromagnetic waves. We suggest a systematic analytical approach for the analysis and synthesis of such metasurfaces. Moreover, we demonstrate a conceptual synthesis example i.e., an electromagnetic illusion device and suggest other applications using the proposed approach. The suggested approach paves the way for more complex and interesting wave manipulations.

Shadow-free multimers as extreme-performance meta-atoms

We generalize the concept of parity-time symmetric structures with the goal to create meta-atoms exhibiting extraordinary abilities to overcome the presumed limitations in the scattering of overall lossless particles, such as non-zero forward scattering and the equality of scattering and extinction powers for all lossless particles. Although the forward scattering amplitude and the extinction cross section of our proposed meta-atoms vanish, they scatter incident energy into other directions, with controllable directionality. These meta-atoms possess extreme electromagnetic properties not achievable for passive scatterers. As an example, we study meta-atoms consisting of two or three small dipole scatters. We consider possible microwave realizations in the form of short dipole antennas loaded by lumped elements. The proposed meta-atom empowers extraordinary response of a shadow-free scatterer and theoretically enables most unusual material properties when used as a building block of an artificial medium.

Photo-induced force vs power in chiral scatterrers

We study isotropic chiral polarizable particles in the interaction with circularly polarized travelling electromagnetic waves. We derive the expressions for the scattered and extinct power of such particles in terms of their polarizabilities for incident waves with opposite handedness i.e., right or left handed circular polarization. Moreover, we extract similar expressions for the exerted force on such particles induced by the proposed incidences. Based on our theoretical results, we present the link between the calculated power and force and demonstrate how these two different physical observables give rise to equivalent understanding of properties of chiral inclusions. This paves the way to formulate two alternatives to perform either the photo-induced force microscopy or power spectroscopy based on the merits of each. We also provide an original method to measure the magnetoelectric polarizability of isotropic chiral particles.

Probing magnetic nanoprobe in structured light by a subtle soft touch (Conference Presentation)

Optical magnetism has long been the elusive, missing component in light-matter interaction. Interesting applications may emerge if optical magnetism is effectively harnessed and exploited. Of particular interest is the possible manipulation of the optical magnetic force, in the form of photo-induced magnetic force microscopy. We propose an optical system for inducing magnetic forces in an axis-aligned Si disk under azimuthally polarized beam illumination. The designed Si disk can support a magnetic resonance in the visible range under azimuthal polarization by interacting with the longitudinal magnetic field at the overlapping axis. Such structure can serve as the unique magnetic probe to “feel” the magnetic force of light. In our current step, we use photo-induced force microscopy to characterize the near-field electric field distribution of this system. Measurements show a stronger electric field enhancement near the edge of the Si disk which indicates a longitudinal magnetic field enhancement at the overlapping axis. This measurement is in accordance with theoretical modeling, confirming the observed magnetic enhancement. This indirect measurement on the magnetic response of the Si disk defines an important step towards our final goal of achieving direct mapping of the local magnetic field with photo-induced magnetic force microscopy. Also, our methodology can be extended to the characterization of arbitrary nanostructures, including metamaterials and metasurfaces, under structured light illumination.

Unscrambling Structured Chirality with Structured Light at the Nanoscale Using Photoinduced Force

We show that the gradient force generated by the near field of a chiral nanoparticle carries information about its chirality. On the basis of this physical phenomenon we propose a new microscopy technique that enables the prediction of spatial features of chirality of nanoscale samples by exploiting the photoinduced optical force exerted on an achiral tip in the vicinity of the test specimen. The tip–sample interactive system is illuminated by structured light to probe both the transverse and longitudinal (with respect to the beam propagation direction) components of the sample’s magnetoelectric polarizability as the manifestation of its sense of handedness, i.e., chirality. We specifically prove that although circularly polarized waves are adequate to detect the transverse polarizability components of the sample, they are unable to probe the longitudinal component. To overcome this inadequacy and probe the longitudinal chirality, we propose a judiciously engineered combination of radially and azimuthally...