We apply the complex de Broglie-Bohm formulation of quantum mechanics in Chou and Wyatt (Phys Rev A 76: 012115, 2007), Gozzi (Phys Lett B 165: 351, 1985), Bhalla et al. (Am J Phys 65: 1187) to a spatially closed homogeneous and isotropic early universe whose matter contents are radiation and dust perfect fluids. We then show that an expanding classical universe can emerge from an oscillating (with complex scale factor) quantum universe without singularity. Furthermore, the universe obtained in this process has no horizon or flatness problems.

It is commonly assumed that if the optical metric of a dielectric medium is identical to the metric of a vacuum space-time then light propagation through the dielectric mimics light propagation in the vacuum. However, just as the curved surface of the Earth cannot be mapped into a flat plane without distortion of some surface features, so too is it impossible to project the behavior of light from the vacuum into a dielectric analog residing in Minkowski space-time without introducing distortions. We study the covariance properties of dielectric analog space-times and the kinematics of a congruence of light in the analog, and show how certain features can be faithfully emulated in the analog depending on the choice of projection, but that not all features can be simultaneously emulated without distortion. These findings indicate conceptual weaknesses in the idea of using analog space-times as a basis for transformation optics, and we show that a certain formulation of transformation optics closely related to analog space-times resolves these issues.

Firstly we derive peculiar spherical Weyl solutions, using a general spherically symmetric metric due to a massive charged object with definite mass and radius. Afterwards, we present new analytical solutions for relevant cosmological terms, which appear in the metrics. Connecting the metrics to a new geometric definition of a charged Black Hole, we numerically investigate the effective potentials of the total dynamical system, considering massive and massless test particles, moving on such Black Holes.

The fully covariant formulation of transformation optics is used to find the configuration of a cloaking device operating in an expanding universe modelled by a Friedmann-Lemaître-Robertson-Walker spacetime. This spacetime cloak is used as a platform for probing the covariant formulation of transformation optics, thereby rigorously enhancing the conceptual understanding of the theory. By studying the problem in both comoving and physical coordinates we explicitly demonstrate the preservation of general covariance of electrodynamics under the transformation optics procedure. This platform also enables a detailed study of the various transformations that arise in transformation optics. We define a corporeal transformation as the "transformation" of transformation optics, and distinguish it from coordinate and frame transformations. We find that corporeal transformations considered in the literature have generally been restricted to a subset of all possible corporeal transformations, providing a potential mechanism for increased functionality of transformation optics.

The advanced state of cosmological observations constantly tests the alternative theories of gravity that originate from Einstein's theory. However, this is not restricted to modifications to general relativity. In this sense, we work in the context of Weyl's theory, more specifically, on a particular black hole solution for a charged massive source, which is confronted with the classical test of the geodetic precession, to obtain information about the parameters associated with this theory. To fully assess this spacetime, the complete geodesic structure for massive test particles is presented.