Light tunneling anomaly in interlaced metallic wire meshes

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that interlaced metallic wire meshes can enable anomalous light tunneling at long wavelengths due to destructive interference, revealing new electromagnetic phenomena in metamaterials.

Contribution

It introduces a novel effect of light tunneling in interlaced metallic wire meshes, contrasting with their usual opacity at long wavelengths.

Findings

Interlaced metallic wire meshes allow light tunneling at long wavelengths.

The effect arises from destructive interference leading to a Fano resonance.

This phenomenon challenges conventional understanding of metallic mesh transparency.

Abstract

For long wavelengths three-dimensional connected metallic wire meshes are impenetrable by light and have an electromagnetic response similar to that of an electron gas below the plasma frequency. Surprisingly, here it is shown that when two opaque metallic meshes are spatially-interlaced the combined structure enables an anomalous light tunneling in the long wavelength regime. The effect is due to the destructive interference of the waves scattered by the two wire meshes, which leads to a Fano-type resonance.