Nonlinear Effects in Left-Handed Metamaterials
Nonlinear Effects in Left-Handed Metamaterials
Nonlinear Effects in Left-Handed Metamaterials
net/publication/278073317
Conference Paper in Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering · January 2004
DOI: 10.1117/12.560683
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Alexander Zharov
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dielectric. By means of the finite difference time domain capacitance (and therefore the SRR eigenfrequency)
(FDTD) simulations, we study the wave scattering by a depends on the strength of the local electric field in a
slab of a nonlinear composite structure. We also discuss narrow slot. The intensity of the local electric field in the
the structure of electromagnetic solitons supported by the SRR gap, Eg, depends on the electromotive force in the
nonlinear left-handed materials with hysteresis-type non- resonator loop, which is induced by the magnetic field.
linear response. We believe our findings may stimulate Therefore the effective magnetic permeability meff
the future experiments in this field, as well as the studies depends on the macroscopic (average) magnetic field
of nonlinear effects in photonic crystals, where the H, and this dependence can be found in the three-
phenomenon of negative refraction is analyzed now very dimensional case similar to the two-dimensional geom-
intensively [Luo et al., 2002a, 2002b]. etry discussed by Zharov et al. [2003],
F w2
2. Nonlinear Resonant Response meff ðHÞ ¼ 1 þ ; ð1Þ
w20NL ðHÞ w2 ð1 þ F=3Þ þ iGw
[5] First, we extend the results of the original paper
[Zharov et al., 2003] and consider a three-dimensional where
composite structure in the form of a cubic lattice of c 2 d
conducting wires and SRRs. The wires are placed at the w20NL ðHÞ ¼ h g i
edges of the cube, while SRRs are placed at its facets. a 2prw D jEg ðHÞj2
We assume that the unit cell size dcell of the structure is
much smaller than the wavelength of the propagating is the eigenfrequency of nonlinear oscillations, G =
electromagnetic field and, for simplicity, we choose the c 2 /4psar w is the dumping coefficient, F =
single-ring geometry of a lattice of SRRs. The results p2a3/2d3cell [ln(8a/rw) 7/4] is the filling factor, a is
obtained for this case are qualitatively similar to those the SRR radius, rw is the radius of the SRR wire, s is
obtained in more involved cases of double SRRs. This the conductivity of the wires, Eg is the strength of the
type of microstructured materials has recently been electric field in the SRR slit, c is the speed of light. It
suggested and built in order to create left-handed meta- is important to note that equation (1) has a simple
materials with negative refraction in the microwave physical interpretation: The resonant frequency of the
region [Smith et al., 2000]. artificial magnetic structure depends on the amplitude
[6] The negative real part of the effective dielectric of the external magnetic field and, in turn, this leads to
permittivity of such a composite structure appears be- the intensity-dependent function meff.
cause of the metallic wires whereas a negative sign of the [9] Figures 1 and 2 summarize different types of the
magnetic permeability becomes possible because of the nonlinear magnetic properties of the composite, which
SRR lattice. As a result, these materials demonstrate are defined by the dimensionless frequency of the
the properties of negative refraction in a finite frequency external field W = w/w0, for both focusing (Figures 1a,
range, that is, w0 < w < min(wp, wkm), where w0 is the 1b, 2a, and 2b) and defocusing (Figures 1c, 1d, 2c and
eigenfrequency of the SRRs, wkm is the frequency of the 2d) nonlinearity of the dielectric.
longitudinal magnetic plasmon, wp is the effective plasma [10] Because of high amplitude of the electric field in
frequency, and w is the angular frequency of the propa- the SRR slit as well as resonant interaction of the
gating electromagnetic waves, (E, H) (E, H) electromagnetic field with the SRR lattice, nonlinear
exp(iwt). The SRR can be described as an effective effects in such structures can be enhanced dramatically.
LC oscillator [see, e.g., Gorkunov et al., 2002] with Moreover, the critical fields for switching between the
capacitance of the SRR gap, as well as an effective LH and RH states, shown in Figure 1 can be reduced to a
inductance and resistance. desirable value by choosing the frequency close to the
[7] We assume that only the slits of the SRRs are filled resonant frequency of SRRs. Even for a relatively large
with nonlinear dielectric with a permittivity that depends difference between the SRR eigenfrequency and the
on the intensity of the electric field jEj2 in a rather external frequency, as in Figure 1b where W = 0.8 (i.e.,
general form, D = D(jEj2). For the calculations pre- w = 0.8w0), the switching amplitude of the magnetic field
sented below, we take the dependence that corresponds is 0.03Ec. The characteristic values of the focusing
to the Kerr-type nonlinear response, D = l + ajEj2/E2c , nonlinearity can be estimated for some materials such as
where l is the linear part of the dielectric permittivity, n-InSb for which Ec = 200 V/cm [Belyantsev et al.,
Ec is a characteristic electric field strength, a = +1 for 1981]. As a result, the strength of the critical magnetic
focusing nonlinearity and a = 1 for defocusing field is found as Hc1 1.6 A/m. Strong defocusing
nonlinearity. properties for microwave frequencies are found in
[8] The nonlinear response of the composite material Ba xSr1 – xTiO3 [see Li et al., 2001, and references
comes from the lattice of resonators, since the SRR therein]. The critical nonlinear field of a thin film of this
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Figure 1. Real part of the effective magnetic permeability versus intensity of the magnetic field:
(a) W > 1, a = 1; (b) W < 1, a = 1, (c) W > 1, a = 1; and (d) W < 1, a = 1. Black curves represent
the lossless case (g = 0), and green curves represent the lossy case (g = 0.05). Dashed curves show
unstable branches. See color version of this figure in the HTML.
material is Ec = 4 104 V/cm, and the corresponding electromagnetic waves from the nonlinear metamaterial
field of the transition from the LH to RH state (see discussed above. In particular, we perform the FDTD
Figure 1c) can be found as Hc 55.4 A/m. numerical simulations of the plane wave interaction with
[11] The unique possibility of strongly enhanced ef- a slab of LHM of a finite thickness. We use Maxwell’s
fective nonlinearities in left-handed metamaterials equations in the form
revealed here may lead to an essential revision of the
concepts based on the linear theory, since the electro- 1 @B
rE¼
magnetic waves propagating in such materials always c @t
have a finite amplitude. At the same time, the engineer-
ing of nonlinear composite materials may open a number
1 @E 4p
of their novel applications such as frequency multipliers, rB¼ þ hji þ 4pr M; ð2Þ
beam spatial spectrum transformers, switchers, limiters, c @t c
etc. where hji is the current density averaged over the period
of the unit cell, and M is the magnetization of the
3. FDTD Simulations of Nonlinear metamaterial. We base our analysis on the microscopic
model recently discussed by Shadrivov et al. [2004], and
Transmission write the constitutive relations in the form
[12] In order to verify the specific features of the left-
d hji sS
handed metamaterials introduced by their nonlinear sLw S þ hji ¼ 2 E
response, in this section we study the scattering of dt dcell
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Figure 2. Imaginary part of the effective magnetic permeability versus intensity of the magnetic
field for g = 0.05: (a) W > 1, a = 1; (b) W < 1, a = 1, (c) W > 1, a = 1; and (d) W < 1, a = 1.
Dashed curves show unstable branches.
nm 2 B with
M¼ pa IR ; ð3Þ
2c jBj
C ðU Þ ¼ rw2 l 1 þ ajU j2 =Uc2 =4dg ;
where Lw is the inductance of the wire per unit length, S
is the effective cross section of a wire, S pr2w,p for d>
ffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffi where Uc is the characteristic nonlinear voltage, Uc =
rw, and S pd(2rw d), for d < rw, where d = c/ 2psw Ec dg.
is the skin layer thickness, IR is the current in SRR, nm is [ 13 ] The microscopic magnetic field H 0 can be
concentration of SRRs. The current in SRRs is governed expressed in terms of M and B using the Lorenz-Lorentz
by the equation relation [Born and Wolf, 2002], assuming that the num-
dIR pa2 dH 0 ber of SRRs in the volume l3, where l denotes the
L ¼ U RIR ; ð4Þ wavelength, is much greater than 1:
dt c dt
where L is inductance of the SRR, R is resistance of the 8p
SRR wire, U is the voltage on the SRR slit, and H0 is the H0 ¼ B M: ð6Þ
3
acting (microscopic) magnetic field, which differs from
the average (macroscopic) magnetic field. Voltage U at
the slit of SRR is coupled to the current IR through the As a result, equations (2) – (6) form a closed system of
relation coupled equations, and they can be solved numerically
using, for example, the numerical FDTD method. We
also notice that, by substituting the harmonic fields into
dU these equations, we recover the expression for the
C ðU Þ ¼ IR ; ð5Þ
dt magnetic permeability (1).
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Figure 5. (a) Reflected (solid curve) and incident (dashed curve) wave intensity versus time for
small amplitudes of the incident wave (i.e., in the linear regime). (b, c) Distribution of the magnetic
and electric fields, respectively, at the end of simulation time; the metamaterial is shaded. See color
version of this figure in the HTML.
value. However, taking different temporal behavior of rial slab left handed and therefore transparent. More-
the incident wave, for example, increasing the amplitude over, one can expect the formation of self-focused
above the threshold value and then decreasing it to the localized states inside the composite, the effect which
steady state, one can get different values of the stationary was previously discussed for the interaction of the
reflection and transmission coefficients, and different intense electromagnetic waves with overdense plasma
distributions of the magnetic permeability inside the [Zauer and Gorbunov, 1977; Zharov and Kotov, 1984;
metamaterial slab. Such properties of the nonlinear Kochetov and Feigin, 1988]. Figure 5a shows the
metamaterial slab are consistent with the predicted multi- temporal evolution of the incident and reflected wave
valued dependence of the magnetic permeability on the intensities for small input intensities, this case corre-
amplitude of the magnetic field. sponds to the linear regime. The reflection coefficient
[18] In the case of focusing nonlinearity (see Figure 4), reaches a steady state after approximately 100 periods.
the dependence of the reflection and transmission coef- The spatial distribution of the electric and magnetic
ficients on the amplitude of the incident field is smooth. fields at the end of simulation time is shown in
This effect originates from a gradual detuning from the Figures 5b and 5c, respectively.
impedance matching condition, and, for higher powers, [20] In a weakly nonlinear overcritical regime (see
from the appearance of an opaque layer (see the inset Figure 6), the intensity of the reflected beam decreases
in Figure 4) with a positive value of the magnetic approaching a steady state. In this case we observe the
permeability that is a continuous function of the coordi- formation of a localized state inside the metamaterial slab
nate inside the slab. and near the interface, as can be seen more distinctly in
[19] Now we consider another interesting case when Figure 6c. This effect give an additional contribution to
initially opaque metamaterial becomes transparent with the absorption of the electromagnetic energy, thus lead-
the growth of the incident field amplitude. We take the ing to a decay of the value of the reflection coefficient.
frequency of the incident field to be f0 = 5.67 GHz, so [21] In a strongly nonlinear overcritical regime, we
that magnetic permeability is positive in the linear observe the effect of the dynamical self-modulation of
regime and the metamaterial is opaque. In the case of the reflected electromagnetic wave that results from the
self-focusing nonlinear response (a = 1), it is possible to periodic generation of the self-localized states inside the
switch the material properties to the regime with negative metamaterial (see Figure 7). Such localized states resem-
magnetic permeability (see Figure 1b) making the mate- ble temporal solitons, which transfer the energy away
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Figure 6. Same as Figure 5 but in the regime of critical amplitude of the incident wave. See color
version of this figure in the HTML.
from the interface. Figure 7c shows an example when of the electric field derivative at the maximum of the
two localized states enter the metamaterial. These local- soliton intensity, and subsequent appearance of transpar-
ized states appear on the jumps of the magnetic perme- ent regions in the metamaterial. Unlike all previous
ability and, as a result, we observe a change of the sign cases, the field structure in this regime do not reach
Figure 7. Same as Figure 5 but in the regime of overcritical amplitude of the incident wave. See
color version of this figure in the HTML.
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Figure 8. Examples of different types of solitons: (a) fundamental soliton, (b) soliton with one
domain of negative magnetic permeability (shaded), (c) soliton with one domain of positive
magnetic permeability (shaded), and (d) soliton with two different domains (shaded). Insets in
Figures 8b and 8c show the magnified regions of the steep change of the magnetic field. See color
version of this figure in the HTML.
any steady state for high enough intensities of the coordinate. Different types of localized solutions of
incident field. equation (7) can be analyzed on the phase plane (H,
dH/dx) [see, e.g., Gil’denburg et al., 1983]. First, we find
the equilibrium points: the point (0, 0) existing for all
4. Electromagnetic Spatial Solitons parameters, and the point (0, H1), where H1 is found as a
[22] Similar to other nonlinear media [Kivshar and solution of the equation
Agrawal, 2003], nonlinear left-handed composite mate-
Feff
rials can support self-trapped electromagnetic waves in X 2 ðH1 Þ ¼ Xeq
2
¼ W2 1 þ 2 : ð8Þ
the form of spatial solitons. Such solitons possess inter- ðg eff Þ
esting properties because they exist in materials with a Below the threshold, that is, for g < gtr, where g2tr =
hysteresis-type (multistable) nonlinear magnetic re- [1 + FW2/(1 W2)], the only equilibrium state (0, 0) is
sponse. Below, we describe novel and unique types of a saddle point, and therefore no finite amplitude or
single-hump and multihump (symmetric, antisymmetric, localized waves can exist. Above the threshold value,
or even asymmetric) backward wave spatial electro- that is, for g > gtr, the phase plane has three equilibrium
magnetic solitons supported by the nonlinear magnetic points, and a separatrix curve corresponds to a soliton
permeability. solution.
[23] Spatially localized transverse magnetic – polarized [24] In the vicinity of the equilibrium state (0, 0), linear
waves that are described by one component of the solutions of equation (7) describe either exponentially
magnetic field and two components of the electric field. growing or exponentially decaying modes. The equilib-
Monochromatic stationary waves with the magnetic field rium state (0, H1) describes a finite amplitude wave
component H = Hy propagating along the z axis and mode of the transverse electromagnetic field. In the
homogeneous in the y direction, [exp (iwt ikz)], are region of multistability, the type of the phase trajectories
described by the dimensionless nonlinear Helmholtz is defined by the corresponding branch of the multi-
equation valued magnetic permeability. Correspondingly, different
d2H h
2
2
i types of the spatial solitons appear when the phase
þ m eff jHj g H ¼ 0; ð7Þ trajectories correspond to the different branches of the
dx2
nonlinear magnetic permeability.
where g = kc/w is a wave number, x = x0w/c is the [25] The fundamental soliton is described by the sep-
dimensionless coordinate, and x0 is the dimensional aratrix trajectory on the plane (H, dH/dx) that starts at the
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point (0, 0), goes around the center point (0, H1), and and in such a system we can find dark solitons, that is,
then returns back; the corresponding soliton profile is localized dips on the finite amplitude background wave
shown in Figure 8a. More complex solitons are formed [Kivshar and Agrawal, 2003]. Similar to bright solitons,
when the magnetic permeability becomes multivalued there exist both fundamental dark solitons and dark
and is described by several branches. Then, soliton solitons with domains of different values of magnetic
solutions are obtained by switching between the separa- permeability. For self-defocusing nonlinearity and W < 1,
trix trajectories corresponding to different (upper and magnetic permeability is a single-valued function, and
lower) branches of magnetic permeability. Continuity of such a nonlinear response can support dark solitons as
the tangential components of the electric and magnetic well, whereas for self-focusing dielectric, we have W > 1
fields at the boundaries of the domains with different and no dark solitons can exist.
values of magnetic permeability implies that both H
and dH/dx should be continuous. As a result, the
transitions between different phase trajectories should
5. Conclusions
be continuous. [30] We have discussed novel properties of left-handed
[26] Figures 8b and 8c show several examples of the metamaterials associated with their nonlinear resonant
more complex solitons corresponding to a single jump to response. For the case of harmonic fields, we have
the lower branch of meff(H) (see Figure 1c) and to the calculated the effective magnetic permeability of micro-
upper branch of meff(H). The insets show the magnified structured materials consisting of rods and split-ring
domains of a steep change of the magnetic field. Both the resonators, and predicted the hysteresis-like dependence
magnetic field and its derivative, proportional to the of the nonlinear magnetic permeability as a function of
tangential component of the electric field, are continu- the applied magnetic field. Using the finite difference
ous. The shaded areas show the effective domains where time domain numerical simulations, we have studied the
the value of magnetic permeability changes. Figure 8d temporal dynamics of the wave reflection from a slab of
shows an example of more complicated multihump nonlinear metamaterial that is found to be consistent with
soliton which includes two domains of the effective our theory. Finally, we have predicted the existence of
magnetic permeability, one described by the lower electromagnetic spatial solitons supported by the hyster-
branch, and the other one by the upper branch. In a esis-type nonlinear magnetic permeability of a left-
similar way, we can find more complicated solitons with handed material.
different number of domains of the effective magnetic
permeability.
[27] We note that some of the phase trajectories have [31] Acknowledgments. This work has been supported by
discontinuity of the derivative at H = 0 caused by infinite the Australian Research Council and the Australian National
values of the magnetic permeability at the corresponding University. A.A.Z. acknowledges support from the Russian
Foundation for Basic Research (grant 05-02-16357).
branch of meff(H). Such a nonphysical effect is an artifact
of the lossless model of a left-handed nonlinear compos-
ite considered here for the analysis of the soliton
solutions. In more realistic models that include losses,
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