Negative diffraction pattern dynamics in nonlinear cavities with left-handed materials

TL;DR

This paper investigates how negative diffraction influences pattern dynamics in nonlinear optical cavities containing both right-handed and left-handed materials, revealing control over diffraction sign and its effects on instability and structure formation.

Contribution

It introduces a mean-field model for light propagation in left-handed materials and demonstrates how layer thicknesses control diffraction sign and pattern dynamics.

Findings

Diffraction sign can be controlled by layer thicknesses.

Negative diffraction significantly alters modulation instability behavior.

Dissipative structures favor up-switching over periodic pattern formation.

Abstract

We study a ring cavity filled with a slab of a right-handed material and a slab of a left-handed material. Both layers are assumed to be nonlinear Kerr media. First, we derive a model for the propagation of light in a left-handed material. By constructing a mean-field model, we show that the sign of diffraction can be made either positive or negative in this resonator, depending on the thicknesses of the layers. Subsequently, we demonstrate that the dynamical behavior of the modulation instability is strongly affected by the sign of the diffraction coefficient. Finally, we study the dissipative structures in this resonator and reveal the predominance of a two-dimensional up-switching process over the formation of spatially periodic structures, leading to the truncation of the homogeneous hysteresis cycle.