Hyperbolic Blockade: Suppression of the Photonic Density of States and the Spontaneous Emission Rate at the Interface with Conducting Medium

TL;DR

This paper investigates how surface scattering at metal-dielectric interfaces creates hyperbolic dispersion layers, significantly altering the local density of states and spontaneous emission rates near the interface.

Contribution

It introduces the concept of hyperbolic blockade caused by surface scattering, revealing its impact on electromagnetic responses at conducting interfaces.

Findings

Hyperbolic dispersion layers form near metal-dielectric interfaces.

Local density of states is strongly suppressed or enhanced.

Spontaneous emission rates are significantly modified.

Abstract

Surface scattering of free electrons strongly modifies the electromagnetic response near the interface. Due to the inherent anisotropy of the surface scattering that necessarily reverses the normal the interface component of the electron velocity while its tangential component may remain the same, a thin layer near a high-quality interface shows strong dielectric anisotropy. The formation of the resulting hyperbolic dispersion layers near the metal-dielectric interface strongly modifies the local density of states, and leads to orders of magnitude changes in all associated phenomena.