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Ideal optical antimatter using passive lossy materials under complex frequency excitation
Olivia Y Long1,2, Peter B Catrysse3, Seunghoon Han4,5
1Department of Applied Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA. olong@stanford.edu.
Light, Science & Applications
|January 3, 2026
Summary
Researchers demonstrate optical antimatter using lossy materials and complex frequencies, overcoming previous limitations. This unlocks new possibilities for complementary media and perfect lensing applications.
Area of Science:
- Optics and Photonics
- Metamaterials Science
- Electromagnetism
Background:
- The concept of left-handed materials inspired optical antimatter, aiming to cancel light propagation effects with complementary media.
- Material loss in negative-index metamaterials has hindered the realization of optical antimatter.
- Previous approaches were limited by inherent material losses.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate optical antimatter using passive, lossy materials.
- To show that complex frequency illumination can overcome material loss limitations.
- To explore the engineering of complex-valued material properties.
Main Methods:
- Illuminating passive, lossy materials with light at a complex frequency.
- Numerically demonstrating optical antimatter functionality.
- Engineering arbitrary complex-valued permittivity and permeability.
Main Results:
- Optical antimatter realized in passive, lossy materials via complex frequency excitation.
- Materials with positive refractive index at real frequencies behave as negative-index materials under complex frequencies.
- Demonstration of double focusing with a perfect lens and superscattering effects.
Conclusions:
- Temporally structured light, specifically complex frequencies, is key to overcoming material loss.
- This approach unlocks the potential of complementary media for advanced optical applications.
- The findings pave the way for novel metamaterial designs and functionalities.
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