arXiv subjects

Michael Plum

Publications and source records attributed to Michael Plum.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Bound states in the continuum in multilayered time-varying metasurfaces

Time-varying metamaterials involve a rapid temporal modulation of the permittivity, often at frequencies comparable to the oscillation frequency of light. However, pronounced physical effects at low modulation amplitudes are observed only when resonances sustained in the metamaterials are utilized. This requires an additional spatial structuring. Here, we demonstrate the first exploitation of bound states in the continuum (BICs) in such spatio-temporal metamaterials consisting of a multilayered metasurface. Leveraging Fabry-Perot BICs in a metasurface-based cavity, we realize polarization-insensitive scattering anomalies such as exceptional points (EPs), coherent perfect absorption (CPA), and lasing at extremely small modulation amplitudes. In a second example, by utilizing symmetry-protected BICs and breaking time-reversal symmetry of a multilayered metasurface, we obtain strong nonreciprocal behavior. Harnessing nonreciprocity, we further demonstrate a device capable of one-way monochromatic light transmission at perturbative modulation amplitudes. Our contribution establishes BIC-enabled spatio-temporal metamaterials as a scalable platform for low-power, tunable light-matter interactions, opening new pathways toward practical nonreciprocal photonic devices, dynamic wave control, and on-chip optical signal processing.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2026

Spectrum of the Maxwell Equations for a Flat Interface between Non-Homogeneous Dispersive Media in 2D and 3D

The present work concerns the time-harmonic Maxwell equations in two- and three-dimensional space, divided into two half-spaces by a flat interface. The two half-spaces are filled with media whose electric permittivity is frequency-dependent and varies as a function of the distance from the interface only; this dependence is assumed to satisfy a regularity condition in each half-space but may be discontinuous at the interface. No specific model for the frequency dependence is assumed. For the associated operator pencil, we characterise subsets of the resolvent set and separate subsets of the Weyl spectrum corresponding to radiation away from the interface and along the interface, respectively. The characterisation of the sets is via conditions on the fundamental solutions. If the media are periodic in the direction orthogonal to the interface, a more explicit description of these sets can be given in terms of Floquet theory of related Sturm-Liouville equations. These results generalise earlier work in one and two dimensions where the media were assumed to be homogeneous in each half-space.

math.SP↗

arXiv2025

A Two-Stage Finite Element Approach for High-precision Guaranteed Lower Eigenvalue Bounds

Obtaining high-precision guaranteed lower eigenvalue bounds remains difficult, even though the standard high-order conforming finite element (FEM) easily yields extremely sharp upper bounds. Recently developed rigorous approaches using such as Crouzeix--Raviart or linear conforming elements do not extend well to high-order FEM. Some non-standard FEM approaches can provide sharp eigenvalue bounds but are technically involved. This persistent gap between accurate upper bounds and equally sharp rigorous lower bounds via standard high-order conforming FEMs makes the problem technically demanding and highly competitive. In this paper, we propose a new two-stage rigorous algorithm that closes this gap by employing high-order FEM on graded meshes and producing rigorous lower eigenvalue bounds as sharp as the corresponding high-order upper bounds, as demonstrated in our numerical examples. Numerical experiments for the Laplacian and Steklov eigenvalue problems on square and dumbbell domains show the accuracy and efficiency of the method, particularly on graded or highly nonuniform meshes. These results confirm that the proposed approach provides a practical and competitive solution to the long-standing difficulty of obtaining sharp, reliable lower eigenvalue bounds.

math.NA↗

arXiv2023

Boltzmann's Billiard Systems: Computation of the Billiard Mapping and Some Numerical Results

L. Boltzmann proposed a billiard model with a planar central force problem reflected against a line not passing through the center. He asserted that such a system is ergodic, which thus illustrates his ergodic hypothesis. However, it has been recently shown that when the underlying central force problem is the Kepler problem then the system is actually integrable by Gallavotti-Jauslin. This raises the question of whether Boltzmann's assertion holds true for some central force problems that he considered. In this paper, we present some geometrical and numerical analysis on the dynamics of several of these systems. As indicated by the numerics, many of these systems show chaotic dynamics and a system seems to be ergodic.

math.DS↗

arXiv2023

Dynamics of the black soliton in a regularized nonlinear Schrodinger equation

We consider a family of regularized defocusing nonlinear Schrodinger (NLS) equations proposed in the context of the cubic NLS equation with a bounded dispersion relation. The time evolution is well-posed if the black soliton is perturbed by a small perturbation in the Sobolev space $H^s(\R)$ with s > 1/2. We prove that the black soliton is spectrally stable (unstable) if the regularization parameter is below (above) some explicitly specified threshold. We illustrate the stable and unstable dynamics of the perturbed black solitons by using the numerical finite-difference method. The question of orbital stability of the black soliton is left open due to the mismatch of the function spaces for the energy and momentum conservation.

math.AP↗

arXiv2023

Eigenvalue analysis of the Lax operator for the one-dimensional cubic nonlinear defocusing Schrödinger equation

We characterize the location and number of eigenvalues for the Lax operator associated to the one-dimensional cubic nonlinear defocusing Schrödinger equation. With the help of a newly discovered unitary matrix, the analysis reduces to the study of the spectral problem for a unitarily equivalent operator, which involves only the amplitude and the phase velocity of the potential. Examples of potentials with special amplitude and phase velocity are investigated.

math.AP↗

arXiv2022

Breathers and rogue waves for semilinear curl-curl wave equations

We consider localized solutions of variants of the semilinear curl-curl wave equation $s(x) \partial_t^2 U +\nabla\times\nabla\times U + q(x) U \pm V(x) |U|^{p-1} U = 0$ for $(x,t)\in \mathbb{R}^3\times\mathbb{R}$ and arbitrary $p>1$. Depending on the coefficients $s, q, V$ we can prove the existence of three types of localized solutions: time-periodic solutions decaying to $0$ at spatial infinity, time-periodic solutions tending to a nontrivial profile at spatial infinity (both types are called breathers), and rogue waves which converge to $0$ both at spatial and temporal infinity. Our solutions are weak solutions and take the form of gradient fields. Thus they belong to the kernel of the curl-operator so that due to the structural assumptions on the coefficients the semilinear wave equation is reduced to an ODE. Since the space dependence in the ODE is just a parametric dependence we can analyze the ODE by phase plane techniques and thus establish the existence of the localized waves described above. Noteworthy side effects of our analysis are the existence of compact support breathers and the fact that one localized wave solution $U(x,t)$ already generates a full continuum of phase-shifted solutions $U(x,t+b(x))$ where the continuous function $b:\mathbb{R}^3\to\mathbb{R}$ belongs to a suitable admissible family.

math.AP↗

arXiv2022

Spectrum of the Maxwell Equations for a Flat Interface between Homogeneous Dispersive Media

The paper determines and classifies the spectrum of a non-self-adjoint operator pencil generated by the time-harmonic Maxwell problem with a nonlinear dependence on the frequency for the case of two homogeneous materials joined at a planar interface. We study spatially one-dimensional and two-dimensional reductions in the whole space $\mathbb{R}$ and $\mathbb{R}^2$. The dependence on the spectral parameter, i.e. the frequency, is in the dielectric function and we make no assumptions on its form. These function values determine the spectral sets. In order to allow also for non-conservative media, the dielectric function is allowed to be complex, yielding a non-self-adjoint problem. The whole spectrum consists of eigenvalues and the essential spectrum, but the various standard types of essential spectra do not coincide in all cases. The main tool for determining the essential spectra are Weyl sequences.

math.SP↗

arXiv2022

Stability of black solitons in optical systems with intensity-dependent dispersion

Black solitons are identical in the nonlinear Schrödinger (NLS) equation with intensity-dependent dispersion and the cubic defocusing NLS equation. We prove that the intensity-dependent dispersion introduces new properties in the stability analysis of the black soliton. First, the spectral stability problem possesses only isolated eigenvalues on the imaginary axis. Second, the energetic stability argument holds in Sobolev spaces with exponential weights. Third, the black soliton persists with respect to addition of a small decaying potential and remains spectrally stable when it is pinned to the minimum points of the effective potential. The same model exhibits a family of traveling dark solitons for every wave speed and we incorporate properties of these dark solitons for small wave speeds in the analysis of orbital stability of the black soliton.

math.AP↗

arXiv2021

Rigorous numerical enclosures for positive solutions of Lane-Emden's equation with sub-square exponents

The purpose of this paper is to obtain rigorous numerical enclosures for solutions of Lane-Emden's equation $-Δu=|u|^{p-1} u$ with homogeneous Dirichlet boundary conditions. We prove the existence of a nondegenerate solution $u$ nearby a numerically computed approximation $\hat{u}$ together with an explicit error bound, i.e., a bound for the difference between $ u $ and $\hat{u}$. In particular, we focus on the sub-square case in which $1<p<2$ so that the derivative $p|u|^{p-1}$ of the nonlinearity $|u|^{p-1} u$ is not Lipschitz continuous. In this case, it is problematic to apply the classical Newton-Kantorovich theorem for obtaining the existence proof, and moreover several difficulties arise in the procedures to obtain numerical integrations rigorously. We design a method for enclosing the required integrations explicitly, proving the existence of a desired solution based on a generalized Newton-Kantorovich theorem. A numerical example is presented where an explicit solution-enclosure is obtained for $ p=3/2 $ on the unit square domain $Ω=(0,1)^2$.

math.NA↗

arXiv2021

Operator estimates for homogenization of the Robin Laplacian in a perforated domain

Let $\varepsilon>0$ be a small parameter. We consider the domain $Ω_\varepsilon:=Ω\setminus D_\varepsilon$, where $Ω$ is an open domain in $\mathbb{R}^n$, and $D_\varepsilon$ is a family of small balls of the radius $d_\varepsilon=o(\varepsilon)$ distributed periodically with period $\varepsilon$. Let $Δ_\varepsilon$ be the Laplace operator in $Ω_\varepsilon$ subject to the Robin condition ${\partial u\over \partial n}+γ_\varepsilon u = 0$ with $γ_\varepsilon\ge 0$ on the boundary of the holes and the Dirichlet condition on the exterior boundary. Kaizu (1985, 1989) and Brillard (1988) have shown that, under appropriate assumptions on $d_\varepsilon$ and $γ_\varepsilon$, the operator $Δ_\varepsilon$ converges in the strong resolvent sense to the sum of the Dirichlet Laplacian in $Ω$ and a constant potential. We improve this result deriving estimates on the rate of convergence in terms of $L^2\to L^2$ and $L^2\to H^1$ operator norms. As a byproduct we establish the estimate on the distance between the spectra of the associated operators.

math.AP↗

arXiv2018

Retrieving effective material parameters of metamaterials characterized by nonlocal constitutive relations

The parameter retrieval is a procedure in which effective material properties are assigned to a given metamaterial. A widely used technique bases on the inversion of reflection and transmission from a metamaterial slab. Thus far, local constitutive relations have been frequently considered in this retrieval procedure to describe the metamaterial at the effective level. This, however, is insufficient. The retrieved local material properties frequently fail to predict reliably the optical response from the slab in situations that deviate from those that have been considered in the retrieval, e.g. when illuminating the slab at a different incidence angle. To significantly improve the situation, we describe here a parameter retrieval, also based on the inversion of reflection and transmission from a slab, that describes the metamaterial at the effective level with nonlocal constitutive relations. We retrieve the effective material parameters at the example of a fishnet metamaterial. We demonstrate that the nonlocal constitutive relation can describe the optical response much better than local constitutive relation would do. Our approach is widely applicable to a large class of metamaterials.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2018

High efficiency laser-assisted H- charge exchange for microsecond duration beams

Laser-assisted stripping is a novel approach to H- charge exchange that overcomes long-standing limitations associated with the traditional, foil-based method of producing high-intensity, time-structured beams of protons. This paper reports on the first successful demonstration of the laser stripping technique for microsecond duration beams. The experiment represents a factor of 1000 increase in the stripped pulse duration compared with the previous proof-of-principle demonstration. The central theme of the experiment is the implementation of methods to reduce the required average laser power such that high efficiency stripping can be accomplished for microsecond duration beams using conventional laser technology. The experiment was performed on the Spallation Neutron Source 1 GeV H- beam using a 1 MW peak power UV laser and resulted in ~95% stripping efficiency.

physics.acc-ph↗

arXiv2018

Surface Plasmon Polaritons Sustained at the Interface of a Nonlocal Metamaterial

Studying basic physical effects sustained in metamaterials characterized by specific constitutive relation is a research topic with a long standing tradition. Besides intellectual curiosity, it derives its importance from the ability to predict observable phenomena that are, if found with an actual metamaterial, a clear indication on its properties. Here, we consider a nonlocal (strong spatial dispersion), lossy, and isotropic metamaterial and study the impact of the nonlocality on the dispersion relation of surface plasmon polaritons sustained at an interface between vacuum and such metamaterial. For that, Fresnel coefficients are calculated and appropriate surface plasmon polaritons existence conditions are being proposed. Predictions regarding the experimentally observable reflection from a frustrated internal reflection geometry are being made. A different behavior for TE and TM polarization is observed. Our work unlocks novel opportunities to seek for traces of the nonlocality in experiments made with nowadays metamaterials.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2017

Interface conditions for a metamaterial with strong spatial dispersion

Local constitutive relations, i.e. a weak spatial dispersion, are usually considered in the effective description of metamaterials. However, they are often insufficient and effects due to a nonlocality, i.e. a strong spatial dispersion, are encountered. Recently (K.~Mnasri et al., arXiv:1705.10969), a generic form for a nonlocal constitutive relation has been introduced that could accurately describe the bulk properties of a metamaterial in terms of a dispersion relation. However, the description of functional devices made from such nonlocal metamaterials also requires the identification of suitable interface conditions. In this contribution, we derive the interface conditions for such nonlocal metamaterials.

physics.class-ph↗

arXiv2017

Orbital Stability of Domain Walls in Coupled Gross-Pitaevskii Systems

Domain walls are minimizers of energy for coupled one-dimensional Gross--Pitaevskii systems with nontrivial boundary conditions at infinity. It has been shown that these solutions are orbitally stable in the space of complex $\dot{H}^1$ functions with the same limits at infinity. In the present work we adopt a new weighted $H^1$ space to control perturbations of the domain walls and thus to obtain an improved orbital stability result. A major difficulty arises from the degeneracy of linearized operators at the domain walls and the lack of coercivity.

math.AP↗

arXiv2017

Beyond local effective material properties for metamaterials

To discuss the properties of metamaterials on physical grounds and to consider them in applications, effective material parameters are usually introduced and assigned to a given metamaterial. In most cases, only weak spatial dispersion is considered. It allows to assign local material properties, i.e. a permittivity and a permeability. However, this turned out to be insufficient. To solve this problem, we study here the effective properties of metamaterials with constitutive relations beyond a local response and take strong spatial dispersion into account. The isofrequency surfaces of the dispersion relation are investigated and compared to those of an actual metamaterial. The significant improvement provides evidence for the necessity to use nonlocal material laws in the effective description of metamaterials. The general formulation we choose here renders our approach applicable to a wide class of metamaterials.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2016

A breather construction for a semilinear curl-curl wave equation with radially symmetric coefficients

We consider the semilinear curl-curl wave equation $s(x) \partial_t^2 U +\nabla\times\nabla\times U + q(x) U \pm V(x) |U|^{p-1} U = 0 \mbox{ for } (x,t)\in \mathbb{R}^3\times\mathbb{R}$. For any $p>1$ we prove the existence of time-periodic spatially localized real-valued solutions (breathers) both for the $+$ and the $-$ case under slightly different hypotheses. Our solutions are classical solutions that are radially symmetric in space and decay exponentially to $0$ as $|x|\to \infty$. Our method is based on the fact that gradient fields of radially symmetric functions are annihilated by the curl-curl operator. Consequently, the semilinear wave equation is reduced to an ODE with $r=|x|$ as a parameter. This ODE can be efficiently analyzed in phase space. As a side effect of our analysis, we obtain not only one but a full continuum of phase-shifted breathers $U(x,t+a(x))$, where $U$ is a particular breather and $a:\mathbb{R}^3\to\mathbb{R}$ an arbitrary radially symmetric $C^2$-function.

math.AP↗