Optically tunable bianisotropy in a sphere made from an epsilon-near-zero material

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Metamaterials Science

Background:

• Bianisotropic media enable control over electromagnetic wave properties like absorbance and scattering.
• Achieving tunable light-induced bianisotropy at optical frequencies remains a challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a feasible concept for light-induced tunable bianisotropy.
• To explore the use of epsilon-near-zero (ENZ) materials for this purpose.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing a homogeneous sphere made of an ENZ material.
• Exploiting large linear absorption and intensity-dependent permittivity changes in ENZ materials.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated the potential for direction-dependent scattering and absorption cross sections.
• Showcased a pathway to dynamic control of bianisotropic behavior.

Conclusions:

• The proposed concept offers a novel approach to tunable bianisotropy in the optical regime.
• Findings pave the way for advanced optical devices with dynamic control capabilities.