Controlled opacity in a class of nonlinear dielectric media

TL;DR

This paper explores how to achieve reversible opacity-to-transparency transitions in nonlinear optical materials, aiding the design of tunable metamaterials through mathematical modeling of dielectric properties.

Contribution

It introduces simple mathematical models for nonlinear dielectric media enabling controlled optical phase transitions with external fields.

Findings

Identification of conditions for opacity-transparency transition

Calculation of light ray speed and polarization in modeled media

Potential applications in tunable metamaterials

Abstract

Motivated by new technologies for designing and tailoring metamaterials, we seek properties for certain classes of nonlinear optical materials that allow room for a reversibly controlled opacity-to-transparency phase transition through the application of external electromagnetic fields. We examine some mathematically simple models for the dielectric parameters of the medium and compute the relevant geometric quantities that describe the speed and polarization of light rays.