| Title: | Specular optical activity of achiral metasurfaces |
Authors: | Plum, Eric
Fedotov, Vassili A.
Zheludev, Nikolay I. |
Keywords: | Dichroism
Polarization |
Issue Date: | 2016 |
Source: | Plum, E., Fedotov, V. A., & Zheludev, N. I. (2016). Specular optical activity of achiral metasurfaces. Applied Physics Letters, 108(14), 141905-. |
Series/Report no.: | Applied Physics Letters |
Abstract: | Optical activity in 3D-chiral media in the form of circular dichroism and birefringence is a fundamental phenomenon that serves as evidence of life forms and is widely used in spectroscopy. Even in 3D-chiral media exhibiting strong transmission optical activity, the reflective effect is weak and sometimes undetectable. Here, we report that specular optical activity at structuredinterfaces can be very strong. Resonant polarization rotation reaching 25°25° and reflectivity contrast exceeding 50% for oppositely circularly polarized waves are observed for microwaves reflected by a metasurface with structural elements lacking two-fold rotational symmetry. The effect arises at oblique incidence from a 3D-chiral arrangement of the wave's direction and the metasurface's structure that itself does not possess chiral elements. Specular optical activity of such magnitude is unprecedented. It is fundamentally different from the polarizationeffects occurring upon scattering, reflection, and transmission from surfaces with 2D-chiral patterns. The scale of the effect allows applications in polarization sensitive devices and surface spectroscopies. |
URI: | https://hdl.handle.net/10356/81503
http://hdl.handle.net/10220/40854 |
ISSN: | 0003-6951 |
DOI: | 10.1063/1.4944775 |
Schools: | |
Research Centres: | Centre for Disruptive Photonic Technologies (CDPT) |
Rights: | © 2016 AIP Publishing LLC. This paper was published in Applied Physics Letters and is made available as an electronic reprint (preprint) with permission of AIP Publishing LLC. The published version is available at: [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4944775]. One print or electronic copy may be made for personal use only. Systematic or multiple reproduction, distribution to multiple locations via electronic or other means, duplication of any material in this paper for a fee or for commercial purposes, or modification of the content of the paper is prohibited and is subject to penalties under law. |
Fulltext Permission: | open |
Fulltext Availability: | With Fulltext |
| Appears in Collections: | SPMS Journal Articles
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