Tuning plasmonic cloaks with an external magnetic field

Area of Science:

• Electromagnetics
• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Plasmonic cloaks offer potential for invisibility but typically lack active tunability.
• Controlling electromagnetic scattering is crucial for advanced optical applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and investigate a mechanism for actively tuning plasmonic cloaks using external magnetic fields.
• To explore the impact of magnetic fields on the scattering properties of magneto-optical cloaks.

Main Methods:

• Investigating electromagnetic scattering by a dielectric cylinder coated with a magneto-optical shell.
• Analyzing scattering cross-section in the long wavelength limit under applied magnetic fields.

Main Results:

• A magnetic field can drastically reduce the scattering cross-section at all observation angles.
• Magnetic fields enable modification of the cloak's operation wavelength without altering material or geometry.
• Cloak operation can be reversibly switched on and off using applied magnetic fields.
• Results are robust to material losses, suggesting practical feasibility.

Conclusions:

• Actively tunable plasmonic cloaks can be developed using magneto-optical materials and external magnetic fields.
• This magnetic tuning mechanism offers a versatile and robust approach for cloaking applications.
• The findings pave the way for practical, switchable plasmonic cloaking devices.