Quantum metamaterials in the microwave and optical ranges

TL;DR

Quantum metamaterials extend traditional metamaterials by incorporating quantum effects, leading to novel optical phenomena, and this paper reviews their fundamental features, recent research progress, and potential applications.

Contribution

This paper provides a comprehensive overview of quantum metamaterials, highlighting their unique quantum effects and summarizing recent theoretical and experimental developments in the field.

Findings

Quantum birefringence demonstrated in theoretical models

Potential for generating strongly nonclassical states of light

Progress in fabrication and experimental investigation of quantum metamaterials

Abstract

Quantum metamaterials generalize the concept of metamaterials (artificial optical media) to the case when their optical properties are determined by the interplay of quantum effects in the constituent 'artificial atoms' with the electromagnetic field modes in the system. The theoretical investigation of these structures demonstrated that a number of new effects (such as quantum birefringence, strongly nonclassical states of light, etc) are to be expected, prompting the efforts on their fabrication and experimental investigation. Here we provide a summary of the principal features of quantum metamaterials and review the current state of research in this quickly developing field, which bridges quantum optics, quantum condensed matter theory and quantum information processing.