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Broadband frequency translation through time refraction in an epsilon-near-zero material

Author

Listed:
  • Yiyu Zhou

    (University of Rochester)

  • M. Zahirul Alam

    (University of Ottawa)

  • Mohammad Karimi

    (University of Ottawa)

  • Jeremy Upham

    (University of Ottawa)

  • Orad Reshef

    (University of Ottawa)

  • Cong Liu

    (University of Southern California)

  • Alan E. Willner

    (University of Southern California)

  • Robert W. Boyd

    (University of Rochester
    University of Ottawa)

Abstract

Space-time duality in paraxial optical wave propagation implies the existence of intriguing effects when light interacts with a material exhibiting two refractive indexes separated by a boundary in time. The direct consequence of such time-refraction effect is a change in the frequency of light while leaving the wavevector unchanged. Here, we experimentally show that the effect of time refraction is significantly enhanced in an epsilon-near-zero (ENZ) medium as a consequence of the optically induced unity-order refractive index change in a sub-picosecond time scale. Specifically, we demonstrate broadband and controllable shift (up to 14.9 THz) in the frequency of a light beam using a time-varying subwavelength-thick indium tin oxide (ITO) film in its ENZ spectral range. Our findings hint at the possibility of designing (3 + 1)D metamaterials by incorporating time-varying bulk ENZ materials, and they present a unique playground to investigate various novel effects in the time domain.

Suggested Citation

  • Yiyu Zhou & M. Zahirul Alam & Mohammad Karimi & Jeremy Upham & Orad Reshef & Cong Liu & Alan E. Willner & Robert W. Boyd, 2020. "Broadband frequency translation through time refraction in an epsilon-near-zero material," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 11(1), pages 1-7, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:11:y:2020:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-020-15682-2
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-15682-2
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    Cited by:

    1. Longqing Cong & Jiaguang Han & Weili Zhang & Ranjan Singh, 2021. "Temporal loss boundary engineered photonic cavity," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-8, December.
    2. Emanuele Galiffi & Paloma A. Huidobro & J. B. Pendry, 2022. "An Archimedes' screw for light," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-9, December.
    3. Jiaye Wu & Marco Clementi & Chenxingyu Huang & Feng Ye & Hongyan Fu & Lei Lu & Shengdong Zhang & Qian Li & Camille-Sophie Brès, 2024. "Thermo-optic epsilon-near-zero effects," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-9, December.
    4. Wallace Jaffray & Federico Belli & Enrico G. Carnemolla & Catalina Dobas & Mark Mackenzie & John Travers & Ajoy K. Kar & Matteo Clerici & Clayton DeVault & Vladimir M. Shalaev & Alexandra Boltasseva &, 2022. "Near-zero-index ultra-fast pulse characterization," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-8, December.
    5. J. Enrique Vázquez-Lozano & Iñigo Liberal, 2023. "Incandescent temporal metamaterials," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-11, December.

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