arXiv subjects

Richard W. Ziolkowski

Publications and source records attributed to Richard W. Ziolkowski.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2025

Superdirective Mixed-Multipole-based Unidirectional Spherical Dielectric Lens Antennas

Studies of superdirective dielectric lens antennas are reported emphasizing unidirectional properties. The developed antennas are based on the higher-order transverse electric and magnetic modes present in a multilayered sphere realized with high permittivity dielectrics. The superdirective properties of the lenses are empowered by exciting them with a basic unidirectional mixed-multipole antenna. Genetic algorithm (GA) optimization was employed to identify configurations that yielded both large directivity and front-to-back ratio outcomes. The analytical evaluations of several example systems of spheres having different outer radii and numbers of layers are described. Their radiated field patterns are presented along with comparisons with known directivity bounds to confirm their superdirective performance characteristics. Subsequent numerical assessments with commercial full-wave finite element simulations of more realistic versions of several selected examples illustrate their potential for experimental realization.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2024

Characterization of a Displaced Coaxial Feed for Cascaded Cylindrical Metasurfaces

This paper characterizes a realistic feed for cylindrical metasurfaces, allowing it to be included in metasurface design. Specifically, it investigates a coaxial feed which is displaced from the center (off-center) of concentrically-cascaded cylindrical metasurfaces. Formulas are reported to quickly compute the multimodal S-matrix (scattering properties) of a displaced feed from that of the central feed. The theory is rigorously derived based on the addition theorem of Hankel functions for all azimuthal modes. Moreover, the resulting multimodal S-matrix is combined with the multimodal wave matrix theory used to model cylindrical metasurfaces, allowing devices to be designed that realize arbitrary field transformations from a displaced coaxial feed. A design example is reported, which opens new opportunities in the realization of realistic, high-performance cylindrical-metasurface-based devices.

physics.app-ph↗

arXiv2022

Rydberg atom-based field sensing enhancement using a split-ring resonator

We investigate the use of a split-ring resonator (SRR) incorporated with an atomic-vapor cell to improve the sensitivity and the minimal detectable electric (E) field of Rydberg atom-based sensors. In this approach, a sub-wavelength SRR is placed around an atomic vapor-cell filled with cesium atoms for E-field measurements at 1.3~GHz. The SRR provides a factor of 100 in the enhancement of the E-field measurement sensitivity. Using electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) with Aulter-Townes splitting, E-field measurements down to 5~mV/m are demonstrated with the SRR, while in the absence of the SRR, the minimal detectable field is 500~mV/m. We demonstrate that by combining EIT with a heterodyne Rydberg atom-based mixer approach, the SRR allows for the a sensitivity of 5.5~$μ$V/m$\sqrt{\rm Hz}$, which is two-orders of magnitude improvement in sensitivity than when the SRR is not used.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2021

Nonperturbative decay dynamics in metamaterial waveguides

In this work we investigate the nonperturbative decay dynamics of a quantum emitter coupled to a composite right/left handed transmission line (CRLH-TL). Our theory captures the contributions from the different spectral features of the waveguide, providing an accurate prediction beyond the weak coupling regime, and illustrating the multiple possibilities offered by the nontrivial dispersion of metamaterial waveguides. We show that the waveguide is characterized by a band-gap with two asymmetric edges: (i) a mu-near-zero (MNZ) band edge, where spontaneous emission is inhibited and an unstable pole is smoothly transformed into a bound state, and (ii) an epsilon-near-zero (ENZ) band edge, where the decay rate diverges and unstable and real (bound state) poles coexist. In both cases, branch cut singularities contribute with fractional decay dynamics whose nature depend on the properties of the band-edges.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2018

Control of a quantum emitter's bandwidth by managing its reactive power

Reactive power plays a crucial role in the design of small antenna systems, but its impact on the bandwidth of quantum emitters is typically disregarded. Here, we theoretically demonstrate that there is an intermediate domain between the usual weak and strong coupling regimes where the bandwidth of a quantum emitter is directly related to the dispersion properties of the reactive power. This result emphasizes that reactive power must be understood as an additional degree of freedom in engineering the bandwidth of quantum emitters. We illustrate the applicability of this concept by revisiting typical configurations of quantum emitters coupled to resonant cavities and waveguides. Analysis of the reactive power in these system unveils new functionalities, including the design of effcient but narrowband photon sources, as well as quantum emitters exhibiting a bandwidth narrower than its nonradiative linewidth.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2014

Least Upper Bounds of the Powers Extracted and Scattered by Bi-anisotropic Particles

The least upper bounds of the powers extracted and scattered by bi-anisotropic particles are investigated analytically. A rigorous derivation for particles having invertible polarizability tensors is presented, and the particles with singular polarizability tensors that have been reported in the literature are treated explicitly. The analysis concludes that previous upper bounds presented for isotropic particles can be extrapolated to bi-anisotropic particles. In particular, it is shown that neither nonreciprocal nor magnetoelectric coupling phenomena can further increase those upper bounds on the extracted and scattered powers. The outcomes are illustrated further with approximate circuit model examples of two dipole antennas connected via a generic lossless network.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2007

The Design and Simulated Performance of a Coated Nano-Particle Laser

The optical properties of a concentric nanometer-sized spherical shell comprised of an (active) 3-level gain medium core and a surrounding plasmonic metal shell are investigated. Current research in optical metamaterials has demonstrated that including lossless plasmonic materials to achieve a negative permittivity in a nano-sized coated spherical particle can lead to novel optical properties such as resonant scattering as well as transparency or invisibility. However, in practice, plasmonic materials have high losses at optical frequencies. It is observed that with the introduction of active materials, the intrinsic absorption in the plasmonic shell can be overcome and new optical properties can be observed in the scattering and absorption cross-sections of these coated nano-sized spherical shell particles. In addition, a "super" resonance is observed with a magnitude that is greater than that for a tuned, resonant passive nano-sized coated spherical shell. This observation suggests the possibility of realizing a highly sub-wavelength laser with dimensions more than an order of magnitude below the traditional half-wavelength cavity length criteria. The operating characteristics of this coated nano-particle (CNP) laser are obtained numerically for a variety of configurations.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2006

FDTD analysis of the tunneling and growing exponential in a pair of epsilon-negative and mu-negative slabs

Pairing together material slabs with opposite signs for the real parts of their constitutive parameters has been shown to lead to interesting and unconventional properties that are not otherwise observable for single slabs. One such case was demonstrated analytically for the conjugate (i.e., complementary) pairing of infinite planar slabs of epsilon-negative (ENG) and mu-negative (MNG) media [A. Alu, and N. Engheta, IEEE Trans. Antennas Prop., 51, 2558 (2003)]. There it was shown that when these two slabs are juxtaposed and excited by an incident plane wave, resonance, complete tunneling, total transparency and reconstruction of evanescent waves may occur in the steady-state regime under a monochromatic excitation, even though each of the two slabs by itself is essentially opaque to the incoming radiation. This may lead to virtual imagers with sub-wavelength resolution and other anomalous phenomena overcoming the physical limit of diffraction. Here we explore how a transient sinusoidal signal that starts at t = 0 interacts with such an ENG-MNG pair of finite size using an FDTD technique. Multiple reflections and transmissions at each interface are shown to build up to the eventual steady state response of the pair, and during this process one can observe how the growing exponential phenomenon may actually occur inside this bilayer.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2004

Excitation of guided waves in layered structures with negative refraction

We study the electromagnetic beam reflection from layered structures that include the so-called double-negative materials, also called left-handed metamaterials. We predict that such structures can demonstrate a giant lateral Goos-Hanchen shift of the scattered beam accompanied by splitting of the reflected and transmitted beams due to the resonant excitation of surface waves at the interfaces between the conventional and double-negative materials as well as due to excitation of leaky modes in the layered structures. The beam shift can be either positive or negative, depending on the type of the guided waves excited by the incoming beam. We also perform finite-difference time-domain simulations and confirm the major effects predicted analytically.

physics.optics↗