The Role of Multiferroics in the Negative Index of Refraction

TL;DR

This paper investigates the potential of multiferroic crystals to serve as intrinsic negative index materials in the far infrared, using simulations and theoretical analysis to demonstrate their feasibility.

Contribution

It introduces the concept of using multiferroics with overlapping electric and magnetic resonances to achieve negative refraction, supported by FDTD simulations and polariton theory.

Findings

Multiferroics can exhibit negative index behavior in the far infrared.

Finite difference time domain simulations confirm negative refraction potential.

Theoretical discussion links multiferroics to negative index via polariton models.

Abstract

We explore the possibility of realizing intrinsic far infrared negative index materials (NIM) in multiferroic crystals (crystals simultaneously possessing a ferroelectric and ferromagnetic phase) possessing electric and magnetic dipole resonances with nearby resonance frequencies, or overlapping regions of negative permittivity and permeability. We demonstrate the functionality of such a material using finite difference time domain simulations. In order to motivate the connection between multiferroics and negative index materials, we discuss the negative index of refraction in the polariton picture.