Overcoming phase mismatch in nonlinear metamaterials [Invited]

Nonlinear metamaterials have potentially interesting applications in highly efficient wave-mixing and parametric processes, owing to their ability to combine enhanced nonlinearities with exotic and configurable linear properties. However, the strong dispersion and unconventional configurations typically associated with metamaterials place strong demands on phase matching in such structures. In this paper, we present an overview of potential phase matching solutions for wave-mixing processes in nonlinear metamaterials. Broadly speaking, we divide the phase matching solutions into conventional techniques (anomalous dispersion, birefringence, and quasi-phase matching) and metamaterial-inspired techniques (negative-index and index-near-zero phase matching), offering numerical and experimental examples where possible. We find that not only is phase matching feasible in metamaterials, but metamaterials can support a wide range of phase matching configurations that are otherwise impossible in natural materials. These configurations have their most compelling applications in those devices where at least one of the interacting waves is counter-propagating, such as the mirror-less optical parametric oscillator and the nonlinear optical mirror. © 2011 Optical Society of America.

Duke Scholars

Author David R. Smith Electrical and Computer Engineering