TY - JOUR
T1 - Near-zero-index media as electromagnetic ideal fluids
AU - Liberal, Iñigo
AU - Lobet, Michaël
AU - Li, Yue
AU - Engheta, Nader
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
PY - 2020/9/29
Y1 - 2020/9/29
N2 - Near-zero-index (NZI) supercoupling, the transmission of electromagnetic waves inside a waveguide irrespective of its shape, is a counterintuitive wave effect that finds applications in optical interconnects and engineering light-matter interactions. However, there is a limited knowledge on the local properties of the electromagnetic power flow associated with supercoupling phenomena. Here, we theoretically demonstrate that the power flow in two-dimensional (2D) NZI media is fully analogous to that of an ideal fluid. This result opens an interesting connection between NZI electrodynamics and fluid dynamics. This connection is used to explain the robustness of supercoupling against any geometrical deformation, to enable the analysis of the electromagnetic power flow around complex geometries, and to examine the power flow when the medium is doped with dielectric particles. Finally, electromagnetic ideal fluids where the turbulence is intrinsically inhibited might offer interesting technological possibilities, e.g., in the design of optical forces and for optical systems operating under extreme mechanical conditions.
AB - Near-zero-index (NZI) supercoupling, the transmission of electromagnetic waves inside a waveguide irrespective of its shape, is a counterintuitive wave effect that finds applications in optical interconnects and engineering light-matter interactions. However, there is a limited knowledge on the local properties of the electromagnetic power flow associated with supercoupling phenomena. Here, we theoretically demonstrate that the power flow in two-dimensional (2D) NZI media is fully analogous to that of an ideal fluid. This result opens an interesting connection between NZI electrodynamics and fluid dynamics. This connection is used to explain the robustness of supercoupling against any geometrical deformation, to enable the analysis of the electromagnetic power flow around complex geometries, and to examine the power flow when the medium is doped with dielectric particles. Finally, electromagnetic ideal fluids where the turbulence is intrinsically inhibited might offer interesting technological possibilities, e.g., in the design of optical forces and for optical systems operating under extreme mechanical conditions.
KW - Fluid dynamics
KW - Metamaterials
KW - Nanophotonics
KW - Near-zero-index media
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85092308791&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1073/pnas.2008143117
DO - 10.1073/pnas.2008143117
M3 - Article
C2 - 32913050
AN - SCOPUS:85092308791
SN - 0027-8424
VL - 117
SP - 24050
EP - 24054
JO - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
JF - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
IS - 39
ER -