Tunable scattering cancellation cloak with plasmonic ellipsoids in the visible

TL;DR

This paper introduces a tunable visible-frequency scattering cancellation cloak using plasmonic ellipsoids, enabling frequency adjustment via aspect ratio changes, supported by analytical and numerical methods.

Contribution

It presents a novel design for a tunable cloaking shell in the visible spectrum using ellipsoidal nanoparticles, with analytical and simulation validation.

Findings

Aspect ratio controls operational frequency.

Analytical models match numerical simulations.

Disorder effects are characterized for fabrication guidance.

Abstract

The scattering cancellation technique is a powerful tool to reduce the scattered field from electrically small objects in a specific frequency window. The technique relies on covering the object of interest with a shell that scatters light into the far field of equal strength as the object, but $\pi$ out-of-phase. The resulting destructive interference prohibits its detection in measurements that probe the scattered light. Whereas at radio or microwave frequencies feasible designs have been proposed that allow to tune the operational frequency upon request, similar capabilities have not yet been explored in the visible. However, such ability is decisive to capitalize on the technique in many envisioned applications. Here, we solve the problem and study the use of small metallic nanoparticles with an ellipsoidal shape as the material from which the shell is made to build an isotropic geometry. Changing the aspect ratio of the ellipsoids allows to change the operational frequency. The basic functionality is explored with two complementary analytical approaches. Additionally, we present a powerful multiscattering algorithm that can be used to perform full wave simulations of clusters of arbitrary particles. We utilize this method to analyze the scattering of the presented designs numerically. Hereby we provide useful guidelines for the fabrication of this cloak with self-assembly methods by investigating the effects of disorder.