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Main Authors: Tavakol, Mohammad R., Cai, Wenshan
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
Subjects:
Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.20855
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author Tavakol, Mohammad R.
Cai, Wenshan
author_facet Tavakol, Mohammad R.
Cai, Wenshan
contents We propose and theoretically demonstrate nonreciprocal negative refraction enabled by time-varying photonic structures. By engineering temporal modulations at the interfaces of hyperbolic media, we achieve isolation between forward and backward beams while preserving the hallmark property of negative refraction. Two complementary approaches are developed: in the optical regime, a multilayer AZO/ZnO hyperbolic slab is sandwiched between permittivity-modulated dielectric layers (3D time crystals); in the microwave regime, a wire medium is sandwiched between time-modulated resistive metasurfaces (2D time crystals). Both designs exploit Floquet harmonic expansions and are validated with a customized harmonic-balance finite-element solver. We report isolation exceeding 46 dB in the optical device and ~11 dB in the microwave counterpart. This work introduces a general framework for nonreciprocal negative refraction across frequency regimes, expanding the design space of time-varying metasurfaces and photonic time crystals.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2511_20855
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Nonreciprocal Negative Refraction Enabled by Photonic Time Crystals
Tavakol, Mohammad R.
Cai, Wenshan
Optics
We propose and theoretically demonstrate nonreciprocal negative refraction enabled by time-varying photonic structures. By engineering temporal modulations at the interfaces of hyperbolic media, we achieve isolation between forward and backward beams while preserving the hallmark property of negative refraction. Two complementary approaches are developed: in the optical regime, a multilayer AZO/ZnO hyperbolic slab is sandwiched between permittivity-modulated dielectric layers (3D time crystals); in the microwave regime, a wire medium is sandwiched between time-modulated resistive metasurfaces (2D time crystals). Both designs exploit Floquet harmonic expansions and are validated with a customized harmonic-balance finite-element solver. We report isolation exceeding 46 dB in the optical device and ~11 dB in the microwave counterpart. This work introduces a general framework for nonreciprocal negative refraction across frequency regimes, expanding the design space of time-varying metasurfaces and photonic time crystals.
title Nonreciprocal Negative Refraction Enabled by Photonic Time Crystals
topic Optics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.20855