Physics (Internal)

Transforming Light with Metamaterials

This event is part of the Physics Department Colloquia Series.

In Transformation Optics (TO), the key tool for optical design is the use of coordinate transformations. TO is an intuitive means of design media that provide unprecedented control over the propagation of light and other electromagnetic waves. The TO approach, for example, was applied by our group to design a metamaterial “invisibility” cloak designed to operate at microwave frequencies. The types of media that result from TO are inherently complex, being generally anisotropic and requiring both electric and magnetic response; however, continued investigation has revealed ways to integrate these powerful concepts in practical optical design approaches. In this talk, I will describe some of our work in designing both exotic as well as less-exotic (but more practical) quasi-optical TO devices, and will show that artificially structured metamaterials may be an optimal platform for TO media.