We present a mathematical formalism describing the propagation of a completely general electromagnetic wave in a birefringent medium. Analytic formulas for the refraction and reflection from a plane interface are obtained. As a particular example, a Bessel beam impinging at an arbitrary angle is analyzed in detail. Some numerical results showing the formation and destruction of optical vortices are presented.
In this paper we will analyze the propagation of the angular spectrum of the electromagnetic field through a finite length uniaxial crystal. We solve the boundary conditions of the fields at an interface of an isotropic medium and an uniaxial anisotropic medium with the optical axis in an arbitrary direction and soon after we choose the optical axis in a plane formed by the direction of propagation (z-axis) and the x-axis . We show how the couplings occur between the components of the field and in what situations we can give a vector or scalar treatment for the propagation
We analyze surface electromagnetic waves with hyperbolic dispersion supported at the interface between a semi-infinite isotropic medium and an effective uniaxial material. Apart from known types plasmons with hyperbolic dispersion curve, sometimes referred to as Dyakonov plasmons [Z. Jacob and E. E. Narimanov, APL 93, 221109 (2008)], we classify two new types of surface waves with hyperbolic dispersion. One type of such waves, in contrary to Dyakonov plasmons, does not require hyperbolic metamaterials to be involved. These hybrid-polarized plasmon modes with both TE and TM electromagnetic comp…
We show that, under appropriate oblique-incidence and polarization conditions, the inherent opaqueness of a homogeneous, isotropic single-negative slab may be perfectly compensated (in the ideal lossless case) by a homogenous, anisotropic (uniaxial) double-positive slab, so that complete tunneling (with total transmission and zero phase delay) occurs. We present an analytical and numerical study aimed at deriving the basic design rules, elucidating the underlying physical mechanisms, and exploring the role of the various involved parameters.
General concept of Fano resonance is considered so that to show the possibility of this resonance in space. Using a recently found solution for a Bessel wave beam impinging a dielectric sphere, we analyze the electromagnetic fields near a microsphere with different optical size and permittivity values. We theoretically reveal a spatial Fano resonance when a resonant mode of the sphere interferes with {an amount of } non-resonant modes. This resonance results in a giant jump of the electric field behind the sphere impinged by the first-order Bessel beam. The local minimum of the electromagnetic…
The electromagnetic field of optical vortices is in most cases derived from vector and scalar potentials using either a procedure based on the Lorenz or the Coulomb gauge. The former procedure has been typically used to derive paraxial solutions with Laguerre-Gauss radial profiles, while the latter procedure has been used to derive full solutions of the wave equation with Bessel radial profiles. We investigate the differences in the derivation procedures applying each one to both Bessel and Laguerre-Gauss profiles. We show that the electromagnetic fields thus derived differ in the relative str…
A coherent definition of the reflection and transmission factors at a plane interface separating two uniaxial crystals is proposed, from the photons impulsion-energy 4-vectors conservation. This definition, different from the classical electromagnetic one, is compatible with the completely resolved extended Fermat's principle of the geometric optics for extraordinary luminous rays inside uniaxial media, and allows the exact calculation of the transmission factors at the plane interface for any practical configuration, combining all possible optical axes and anisotropy factors variations. Furth…
We introduce an exact analytical solution of the homogeneous space-fractional Helmholtz equation in cylindrical coordinates. This solution, called vector Space-Fractional Bessel Beam (SFBB), has been established from the Lorenz' gauge condition and Hertz vector transformations. We perform scalar and vector wave analysis focusing on electromagnetics applications, especially in cases where the dimensions of the beam are comparable to its wavelength $(k_r \approx k)$. The propagation characteristics such as the diffraction and self-healing properties have been explored with particular emphasis on…
We show that polarization states of electromagnetic waves can be manipulated easily using a single thin uniaxial crystal plate. By performing a rotational transformation of the coordinates and controlling the thickness of the plate, we can achieve a complete polarization conversion between TE wave and TM wave in a spectral band. We show that the off-diagonal element of the permittivity is the key for polarization conversion. Our analysis can explain clearly the results found in experiments with metamaterials. Finally, we propose a simple device to realize unidirectional transmission based on p…
We present a description of the electromagnetic field for propagation invariant beams using scalar potentials. Fundamental dynamical quantities are obtained: the energy density, the Poynting vector and the Maxwell stress tensor. As an example, all these quantities are explicitly calculated for the Bessel beams, which are the invariant beams with circular cylindrical symmetry.
Electromagnetic surface waves supported by an isotropic chiral material were investigated via the associated canonical boundary-value problem. Specifically, two scenarios were considered: surface waves guided by the planar interface of an isotropic chiral material and (a) an isotropic dielectric material and (b) a uniaxial dielectric (or plasmonic) material. Both plasmonic and non-plasmonic achiral partnering materials were investigated. In scenario (a) surface waves akin to surface-plasmon-polariton (SPP) waves were excited, while in scenario (b) surface waves akin to Dyakonov waves and akin …
The motion of neutral, polarizable atoms (also called neutral particles in this work) in the field of the Bessel beam is considered. It is shown in the numerical way, that the Bessel rings, i.e., the regions of high energy concentration can trap particles of positive polarizability (atoms in red-detuned beams). This trapping occurs only in the plane perpendicular to the wave propagation, and the motion along the beam is unrestricted. When the beam is superposed with the plane wave of the same frequency propagating in the same direction, the particles are guided along helices, fixed in space. T…
We derive the energy density associated with an electromagnetic wave passing through a hyperbolic metamaterial (HMM). Both types of HMMs are studied. By considering a dispersive and absorbing HMM as an effective uniaxial crystal, we find that under the influence of an electromagnetic wave, the response of type I (type II) HMM in the directions perpendicular to and parallel to the optical axis are similar to those of Lorentz (Drude) and Drude (Lorentz) media, respectively. Numerical examples are presented to reveal the general characteristics of the direction-dependent energy storage capacity o…
Based on the dyadic Green's function (DGF) method, we present a formalism to study the propagation of electromagnetic fields with slowly varying amplitude (EMFSVA) in dispersive anisotropic media with two dyadic constitutive parameters, the dielectric permittivity and the magnetic permeability. We find the matrix elements of the envelope DGFs by applying the formalism for uniaxial anisotropic metamaterials. We present the relations for the velocity of the EMFSVA envelopes which agree with the known definition of the group velocity in dispersive media. We consider examples of propagation of the…
We introduce a formalism that describes the interaction of light with bifacial optical nanomaterials. They are artificial noncentrosymmetric materials in which counter-propagating waves behave differently. We derive electromagnetic material parameters for uniaxial crystalline media in terms of the complex transmission and reflection coefficients of a single layer of the constituent nanoscatterers, which makes the numerical evaluation of these parameters very efficient. In addition, we present generalized Fresnel coefficients for such bifacial nanomaterials and investigate the fundamental role …
With the flourishing development of nanophotonics, Cherenkov radiation pattern can be designed to achieve superior performance in particle detection by fine-tuning the properties of metamaterials such as photonic crystals (PCs) surrounding the swift particle. However, the radiation pattern can be sensitive to the geometry and material properties of PCs, such as periodicity, unit thickness, and dielectric fraction, making direct analysis and inverse design difficult. In this article, we propose a systematic method to analyze and design PC-based transition radiation, which is assisted by deep le…
We investigate electromagnetic propagation in uniaxial dielectrics with a transversely varying orientation of the optic axis, the latter staying orthogonal everywhere to the propagation direction. In such a geometry, the field experiences no refractive index gradients, yet it acquires a transversely-modulated Pancharatnam-Berry phase, that is, a geometric phase originating from a spin-orbit interaction. We show that the periodic evolution of the geometric phase versus propagation gives rise to a longitudinally-invariant effective potential. In certain configurations, this geometric phase can p…
Assuming a non-paraxial propagation operator, we study the propagation of an electromagnetic field with an arbitrary initial condition in a quadratic GRIN medium. We show that at certain specific periodic distances, the propagated field is given by the fractional Fourier transform of a superposition of the initial field and of a reflected version of it. We also prove that for particular wavelengths, there is a revival and a splitting of the initial field. We apply this results, first to an initial field given by a Bessel function and show that it splits into two generalized Bessel functions, a…
Since 1908, when Mie reported analytical expressions for the fields scattered by a spherical particle upon incidence of an electromagnetic plane-wave, generalizing his analysis to the case of an arbitrary incident wave has proved elusive. This is due to the presence of certain radially-dependent terms in the equation for the beam-shape coefficients of the expansion of the electromagnetic fields in terms of vector spherical wave functions. Here we show for the first time how these terms can be canceled out, allowing analytical expressions for the beam shape coefficients to be found for a comple…
Electromagnetic energy backflow is a phenomenon occurring in regions where the direction of the Poynting vector is opposite to that of the propagation of the wave field. It is particularly remarkable in the nonparaxial regime and has been exhibited in the focal region of sharply focused beams, for vector Bessel beams, and vector-valued spatiotemporally localized waves. A detailed study is undertaken of this phenomenon and the conditions for its appearance are examined in detail in the case of a superposition of four plane waves in free space, the simplest electromagnetic arrangement for the ob…
In this paper, we present the theoretical studies of a refractive index map to implement a Gauss to J0-Bessel-Gauss convertor. We theoretically demonstrate the viability of such device by solving the inverse electromagnetic problem. The computed conversion efficiency is 90%. The theoretical results, obtained from the beam conversion efficiency, self-regeneration, and propagation through an opaque obstruction; demonstrate that a 2D graded index map of the refractive index can be used to transform a Gauss beam into a J0-Bessel-Gauss beam. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first demonstra…
The evaluation of vector wave fields can be accurately performed by means of diffraction integrals, differential equations and also series expansions. In this paper, a Bessel series expansion which basis relies on the exact solution of the Helmholtz equation in cylindrical coordinates is theoretically developed for the straightforward yet accurate description of low-numerical-aperture focal waves. The validity of this approach is confirmed by explicit application to Gaussian beams and apertured focused fields in the paraxial regime. Finally we discuss how our procedure can be favorably impleme…
In this paper we present a simple and effective method, based on appropriate superpositions of Bessel-Gauss beams, which in the Fresnel regime is able to describe in analytic form the 3D evolution of important waves as Bessel beams, plane waves, gaussian beams, Bessel-Gauss beams, when truncated by finite apertures. One of the byproducts of our mathematical method is that one can get in few seconds, or minutes, high-precision results which normally require quite long times of numerical simulation. The method works in Electromagnetism (Optics, Microwaves,...), as well as in Acoustics. OCIS code…
A numerical investigation was undertaken to elucidate the propagation of electromagnetic surface waves guided by the planar interface of two temperature-sensitive materials. One partnering material was chosen to be isotropic and the other to be anisotropic. Both partnering materials were engineered composite materials, based on the temperature-sensitive semiconductor InSb. At low temperatures the anisotropic partnering material is a non-hyperbolic uniaxial material; as the temperature is raised this material becomes a hyperbolic uniaxial material. At low temperatures, a solitary Dyakonov wave …
A circularly polarized electromagnetic plane wave carries an electric field that rotates clockwise or counterclockwise around the propagation direction of the wave. According to the handedness of this rotation, its \emph{longitudinal} spin angular momentum density is either parallel or antiparallel to the propagation of light. However, there are also light waves that are not simply plane and carry an electric field that rotates around an axis perpendicular to the propagation direction, thus yielding \emph{transverse} spin angular momentum density. Electric field configurations of this kind hav…
We study the propagation of electromagnetic waves in the limit of geometrical optics for a class of nearly transparent nonlinear uniaxial metamaterials for which their permittivity tensors present a negative principal component. Their permeability are assumed positive and dependent on the electric field. We show that light waves experience triple refraction -- trirefringence. Additionally to the ordinary wave, two extraordinary waves propagate in such media.
We present generalized expressions to calculate the orbital angular momentum for invariant beams using scalars potentials. The solutions can be separated into transversal electric TE, transversal magnetic TM and transversal electromagnetic TE/TM polarization modes. We show that the superposition of non-paraxial vectorial beams with axial symmetry can provide a well defined orbital angular momentum and that the modes superposition affects the angular momentum flux density. The results are illustrated and analyzed for Bessel beams.
Geometrical optics describes, with good accuracy, the propagation of high-frequency plane waves through an electromagnetic medium. Under such approximation, the behaviour of the electromagnetic fields is characterised by just three quantities: the temporal frequency $ω$, the spatial wave (co)vector $k$, and the polarisation (co)vector $a$. Numerous key properties of a given optical medium are determined by the Fresnel surface, which is the visual counterpart of the equation relating $ω$ and $k$. For instance, the propagation of electromagnetic waves in a uniaxial crystal, such as calcite, is r…
Traditionally, the angular momentum of light is calculated for "bullet-like" electromagnetic wave packets, although in actual optical experiments "pencil-like" beams of light are more commonly used. The fact that a wave packet is bounded transversely and longitudinally while a beam has, in principle, an infinite extent along the direction of propagation, renders incomplete the textbook calculation of the spin/orbital separation of the angular momentum of a light beam. In this work we demonstrate that a novel, extra surface part must be added in order to preserve the gauge invariance of the opt…
We study the propagation of structured optical scalar beams in a spacetime background parameterized by a second-rank symmetric tensor. An analytic expression for the Green's function in a cylindrical coordinate system is obtained for particular choices of such a tensor. This facilitates the numerical exploration of the propagation of apertured Gaussian beams in this nontrivial background. Unusual focusing properties are found along with a decrease in the Gouy phase compared to that in standard vacuum. In the case of apertured Bessel beams, the medium allows to overcome finite aperture effects …
Many practical applications require the analysis of electromagnetic scattering properties of local structures using different sources of illumination. The Optical Theorem (OT) is a useful result in scattering theory, relating the extinction of a structure to the scattering amplitude in the forward direction. The most common derivation of the OT is given for plane waves but advances in optical engineering now allow laser beam shaping, which might require an extended theorem where the impinging source is a structured field. In this work, we derive an expression for the optical theorem based on c…
The theory of surface electromagnetic waves (SEMWs) propagating at optical frequencies along the interface of an isotropic noble metal [e.g., gold (Au)] and a uniaxial crystal [e.g., Rutile (TiO$_2$)] is revisited with the Drude-Lorentz (DL) model for the complex dielectric material permittivity $(ε_p)$. The latter accounts for the contributions of both the \textit{intraband} transitions of the free electrons and the multiple \textit{interband} transitions of the bound electrons in metals. The propagation characteristics of the wave vectors and wave frequency of SEMWs, the hybridization factor…
