2007, ISBN: 9789810242459

Local electromagnetic field fluctuations and related enhancement of nonlinear phenomena in metal-dielectric composites near the percolation threshold (percolation composites) have recentl… Mehr…

Local electromagnetic field fluctuations and related enhancement of nonlinear phenomena in metal-dielectric composites near the percolation threshold (percolation composites) have recently become an area of active study, because of the many fundamental problems involved and the high potential for various applications. It has been recognized recently that local field fluctuations can be especially large in the optical and infrared spectral ranges due to the surface plasmon resonance in metallic granules and their clusters. The strong fluctuations of the local electric and magnetic fields result in the enhancement of various optical effects: anomalous absorption, Rayleigh and Raman scattering, generation of the higher harmonic, Kerr nonlinearity, etc. Nonlinear percolation composites are potentially of great practical importance as media with intensity-dependent dielectric functions and, in particular, as nonlinear filters and optical bistable elements. The optical response of nonlinear composites can be tuned, for example, by controlling the volume fraction and morphology of constituents. This book presents a new theory of electromagnetic field distribution and nonlinear optical processes in metal-dielectric composites. The new approach is based on a percolation theory and the fact that the problem of optical excitations in percolation composites mathematically maps the Anderson transition problem in quantum mechanics. The theory predicts localization of the excitations (surface plasmons) in percolation composites and describes in detail the localization pattern that allows one to obtain relatively simple expressions for the enhancement of linear and nonlinear optical responses. Thistheory is supported by recent near-field experiments where the surface plasmon localization has been directly observed in the percolating composites in optical and microwave bands. Buch (fremdspr.) Andrey K. Sarychev#Vladimir M. Shalaev gebundene Ausgabe, World Scientific Pub Co Inc, 01.10.2007, World Scientific Pub Co Inc, 2007<

ISBN: 9789810242459

Light is in a sense one-handed when interacting with atoms of conventional materials. This is because out of the two field components of light, electric and magnetic, only the electric … Mehr…

Light is in a sense one-handed when interacting with atoms of conventional materials. This is because out of the two field components of light, electric and magnetic, only the electric hand efficiently probes the atoms of a material, whereas the magnetic component remains relatively unused because the interaction of atoms with the magnetic field component of light is normally weak. Metamaterials, i.e. artificial materials with rationally designed properties, can enable the coupling of both of the field components of light to meta-atoms, enabling entirely new optical properties and exciting applications with such two-handed light. Among the fascinating properties is a negative refractive index. The refractive index is one of the most fundamental characteristics of light propagation in materials. Metamaterials with negative refraction may lead to the development of a superlens capable of imaging objects and their fine structures that are much smaller than the wavelength of light. Other exciting applications of metamaterials include novel antennae with superior properties, optical nano-lithography and nano-circuits, and meta-coatings that can make objects invisible. The word meta means beyond in Greek, and in this sense the name metamaterials refers to beyond conventional materials. Metamaterials are typically man-made and have properties not available in nature. What is so magical about this simple merging of meta and materials that has attracted so much attention from researchers and has resulted in exponential growth in the number of publications in this area? The answer you can find in this book.; Science & Nature, World Scientific Publishing<