Hyperbolic blackbody

TL;DR

This paper explores how hyperbolic anisotropic media alter blackbody radiation, showing significant deviations from classical theory, including spectral shifts and a modified Stefan-Boltzmann law.

Contribution

It introduces a modified blackbody theory for hyperbolic media, revealing new spectral and thermal properties distinct from classical predictions.

Findings

Spectral energy density peaks shift to lower frequencies.

Hyperbolic media appear colder due to spectral shifts.

Stefan-Boltzmann law becomes quadratic in temperature.

Abstract

The blackbody theory is revisited in the case of thermal electromagnetic fields inside uniaxial anisotropic media in thermal equilibrium with a heat bath. When these media are hyperbolic, we show that the spectral energy density of these fields radically differs from that predicted by Planck's blackbody theory. We demonstrate that the maximum of their spectral energy density is shifted towards frequencies smaller than Wien's frequency making these media apparently colder. Finally, we derive Stefan-Boltzmann's law for hyperbolic media which becomes a quadratic function of the heat bath temperature.