Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 18, 2026

Simulation, Fabrication and Characterization of THz Metamaterial Absorbers
Published on: December 27, 2012
Nonlinear absorption due to linear loss and magnetic permeability in metamaterials
Yuanjiang Xiang1, Xiaoyu Dai, Shuangchun Wen
1Key Laboratory for Micro-/Nano-Optoelectronic Devices of Ministry of Education, College of Information Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China. xiangyuanjiang@126.com
Abstract:
We predict theoretically that linear magnetic permeability induces nonlinear absorption (NA) of an electric field in lossy metamaterials (MMs) with Kerr-type nonlinear polarization even when the imaginary part of the nonlinear polarization is absent. The nonlinear magnetic susceptibility, if it exists and although it may be real, enhances or reduces the NA of the electric field, depending on the relative values of the electric and magnetic losses. In particular, it is shown that the NA effect can be tuned by the figure of merit (FOM) of the MM: generally, MMs with a better FOM have a weaker NA effect. Moreover, the nonlinear coefficient can also be enhanced greatly due to the combined effect of the linear losses and the nonlinear magnetization of MMs. The control of the tunable NA and nonlinear coefficients by the structural parameters of MMs is also discussed.
Related Concept Videos
Magnetic Susceptibility and Permeability
When diamagnetic materials are placed under an external magnetic field, the moments opposite to the field are induced. Hence, the susceptibility for diamagnets has a minimal negative value of 10-5–10-6. Since...
Diamagnetism
Diamagnetism was discovered by Anton Brugmans in 1778 when he observed that bismuth gets repelled by magnetic fields, thus theorizing that diamagnets get repelled by magnets.
Magnetic Damping
If, however, the bob is a slotted metal plate, the magnet produces a much smaller effect. When a slotted metal plate enters the field, an emf is induced by the change in flux; however, it is less effective because the slots limit the...
Ferromagnetism
Paramagnetism
Electromagnetic Waves in Matter
Consider the electromagnetic wave passing through a dielectric medium. In such a case, Maxwell's equations get modified. In Ampere's law, ε0 , the dielectric permittivity of free space is replaced with ε, the permittivity of dielectric. Also, the vacuum permeability μ0 is replaced by the permeability of the medium, μ.
Furthermore, the...

