Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

A new type of coherent electromagnetic radiation source based on interference effect between forward and backward waves in an active metamaterial slab

  • Published:
Applied Physics A Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In this paper, we shall show first that both reflection and transmission can be significantly amplified when a beam of electromagnetic wave is normally incident into an active (even lossy) metamaterial slab with near-zero-real-part-of-impedance, which is attributed to effect of interference between forward and backward waves in the slab. Then we demonstrate that extended steady electromagnetic waves can be achieved using a double-slab structure, which may be applied to generate coherent electromagnetic wave with very narrow frequency band and very low divergence angle. This work provides feasible scheme to construct a new type of source of coherent electromagnetic radiation based on new physical mechanism.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. D. Bertram, M. Born, T. Jüstel, Incoherent Light Sources. Springer Handbook of Lasers and Optics (Springer, New York, 2007)

    Google Scholar 

  2. J.P. Gordon, H.J. Zeiger, C.H. Townes, Phys. Rev. 99, 1264 (1955)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  3. A.L. Schawlow, C.H. Towensm, Phys. Rev. 112, 1940 (1958)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  4. T.H. Maiman, Nature 187, 493 (1960)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  5. A. Einstein, Phys. Z. 18, 121 (1917)

    Google Scholar 

  6. O. Svelto, Principles of Lasers (Springer, Berlin, 1998)

    Book  Google Scholar 

  7. A. Pusch, S. Wuestner, J.M. Hamm, K.L. Tsakmakidis, O. Hess, ACS Nano 6, 2420 (2012)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. R.N. Hall, G.E. Fenner, J.D. Kingsley, T.J. Soltys, R.O. Carlson, Phys. Rev. Lett. 9, 366 (1962)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  9. M.C. Cassidy, A. Bruno, S. Rubbert, M. Irfan, J. Kammhuber, R.N. Schouten, A.R. Akhmerov, L.P. Kouwenhoven, Science 355, 939 (2017)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  10. C.J. Koester, IEEE J. Quantum Electron. QE-2, 580 (1966)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  11. S.A. Lebedev, V.M. Volkov, B.Ya. Kogan, Opt. Spectrosc. 35, 976565 (1973)

    Google Scholar 

  12. J. Fan, A. Dogariu, L.J. Wang, Opt. Express 11, 299 (2003)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  13. K.J. Willis, J.B. Schneider, S.C. Hagness, Opt. Express 16, 1903 (2008)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  14. J. Skaar, Phys. Rev. E 73, 026605 (2006)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  15. J.W. Chen, L.L. Zhu, G.X. Yuan, Z.K. Tao, Eur. Phys. J. D 71, 26 (2017)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  16. J.W. Chen, G.X. Yuan, Z.K. Tao, Opt. Commun. 402, 502 (2017)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  17. N. Sun, J.W. Chen, D.M. Tang, Eur. Phys. J. D 69, 219 (2015)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  18. G.V. Eleftheriades, A.K. Iyer, P.C. Kremer, IEEE Trans. Microw. Theory Tech. 50, 2702 (2002)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  19. T. Jiang, K. Chang, L.M. Si, L. Ran, H. Xin, Phys. Rev. Lett. 107, 205503 (2011)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  20. L.D. Landau, E.M. Lifschitz, Electrodynamics of Continuous Media (Pergamon Press, Oxford, 1984)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We acknowledge support from Open project of National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures (M29001).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Electronic and Optical Engineering, Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Nanjing, 210046, People’s Republic of China

    Jiangwei Chen, Huimin Zhao, Lin Yan & Yuyao Dai

  2. National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, People’s Republic of China

    Jiangwei Chen

  3. Key Laboratory of Radio Frequency and Micro-Nano Electronics of Jiangsu Province, Nanjing, 210003, People’s Republic of China

    Jiangwei Chen

Authors
  1. Jiangwei Chen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Huimin Zhao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Lin Yan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Yuyao Dai
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jiangwei Chen.

Additional information

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Chen, J., Zhao, H., Yan, L. et al. A new type of coherent electromagnetic radiation source based on interference effect between forward and backward waves in an active metamaterial slab. Appl. Phys. A 125, 255 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-019-2553-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-019-2553-5

Search

Navigation