How to realize a negative refractive index material at the atomic level in an optical frequency range?

Shen, Jing; Ruan, Zhichao; He, Sailing

doi:10.1631/jzus.2004.1322

Cited by 48 publications

(48 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…However, the proposed scheme requires the conflicting demand that the middle state is involved in both a magnetic transition and an electric transition at the same frequency. An independent study of the same scheme has reached a similar conclusion [5].In this Letter we demonstrate that a four-level medium may be left handed in a restricted domain of parameters. In our model an electric transition and a magnetic transition play the role of an electric resonator and a magnetic resonator, respectively.…”

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Electromagnetically Induced Left Handedness in Optically Excited Four-Level Atomic Media

2006

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We show that left-handed properties can be electromagnetically induced in a general four-level atomic medium for a finite spectral range. We use an electric (magnetic) atomic transition as an electric (magnetic) resonator to modify the permittivity (permeability), both at the same frequency. The implementation of the four-level model is carried out in atomic hydrogen and neon. In each case the existence of left-handed properties is predicted inside an experimentally reachable domain of parameters. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.96.053601 PACS numbers: 42.50.Gy, 42.25.Bs, 78.20.Ci The propagation of electromagnetic waves in matter is characterized by the frequency-dependent relative dielectric permittivity " r and magnetic permeability r . Their product defines the index of refraction: " r r n 2 . Lefthanded media are characterized by negative real parts of " r , r [1]. It has been shown that in this case the negative root must be used for the index of refraction n ÿ " r r p[1]. Left-handed media have recently attracted significant attention since it has been discovered that a slab of lefthanded materials is able, for instance, to focus light into a spot much smaller than the wavelength, realizing a ''perfect'' lens [2]. Experimentally, left-handed properties in the microwave domain were obtained with a composite medium made of a periodic array alternation of split ring resonators and continuous wires [3]. Left handedness has been recently analyzed in a three-level medium [4]. However, the proposed scheme requires the conflicting demand that the middle state is involved in both a magnetic transition and an electric transition at the same frequency. An independent study of the same scheme has reached a similar conclusion [5].In this Letter we demonstrate that a four-level medium may be left handed in a restricted domain of parameters. In our model an electric transition and a magnetic transition play the role of an electric resonator and a magnetic resonator, respectively. They involve two different pairs of states, leading to a realistic energy configuration. Explicit calculation predict the occurrence of a left-handed domain in hydrogen and neon gases with Ref" r g < 0 andNumerous works have been carried out over the past 15 years to control the index of refraction by quantum interference. They led, in particular, to electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) [6], refractive index enhancement [7], and slow light [8]. As the magnetic transition strengths are typically 2 orders of magnitude smaller than the electric transition strengths, the permeability does not change significantly from unity as the frequency of the probe magnetic field reaches a magnetic resonance. Therefore, the modification of the index of refraction is in general due mainly to a modification of the electrical susceptibility. However, a significant change of the permeability can be obtained from a magnetic moment induced by coupled electric transitions [4]. In this Letter we combine the modification of the permeability by an induced magneti...

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Electromagnetically Induced Left Handedness in Optically Excited Four-Level Atomic Media

2006

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“…Whereas, to break the limitation of optical metamaterials, electron transition between energy levels in atoms might be a useful alternative as a unit to achieve EM resonance in visible optical region [13]. A mechanism on the basis of electric and magnetic dipole transitions in gas media was proposed recently [14,15]. However, compared to electric dipolar oscillator, magnetic dipolar oscillator in most atoms is much weaker, so direct magnetic transition is usually omitted.…”

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confidence: 99%

Magnetic Response and Negative Refraction at Optical Frequencies on the Basis of Electronic Transitions in Rare-Earth Ions Doped Crystals

Fu¹,

Xu²,

Zhou³

2013

PIER

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Abstract-Magnetic response based on a two-level magnetic dipole transition in rare earth ions doped crystals was studied. Semi-classic theory and Wigner-Eckart theorem were used to calculate the magnetic permeability. It is found that negative permeability can be attained near the transition frequencies. In order to realize simultaneously negative permittivity and negative permeability, an electric dipole transition at the same frequency was also adopted, and a negative refraction region with a bandwidth of 0.57 MHz is demonstrated in (Yb 0.02 Sm 0.02 Y 0.96 ) 3 Al 5 O 12 crystal. This explores a new route to obtain magnetic response and negative refraction at optical frequencies with nature-existed materials instead of metamaterials.

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“…Obviously, the impact would be enormous if an isotropic and homogeneous material of simultaneously negative permittivity and permeability can be realized by using new scenarios such as quantum optical approach [17][18][19][20], in which photonic resonance and quantum coherence are involved [21][22][23]. In the approaches of quantum coherence, however, there are two bottlenecks that should be resolved in order to realize simultaneously negative permittivity and permeability: i) It would be difficult in finding suitable atomic level structures that can give rise to simultaneous electric-and magnetic-dipole allowed transitions.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Dressed-State Assisted Left-Handed Coherent Medium for High-Gain Optical Amplification

Shen¹

2013

PIER

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Abstract-A scheme of double-negative left-handed atomic vapor medium based on dressed-state assisted simultaneous electric and magnetic resonances is suggested. In this mechanism, simultaneous electric-and magnetic-dipole allowed transitions of atoms are driven by an optical wave by taking full advantage of both mixed-parity dressed-state assisted resonance and incoherent population pumping in a quantum-coherent atomic medium (e.g., alkali-metal atomic vapor). Since the simultaneously negative permittivity and permeability can be achieved in a same frequency band, such an atomic vapor will exhibit an incoherent-gain double-negative refractive index that is three-dimensionally isotropic and homogeneous. The imaginary part of the negative refractive index of the present atomic vapor would be drastically suppressed or would become negative because of loss compensation through incoherent population transfer. The quantumcoherent left-handed atomic vapor presented here will have four characteristics: i) three-dimensionally isotropic and homogeneous negative refractive index, ii) double-negative atomic medium at visible (and infrared) wavelengths, iii) tunable negative refractive index based on dressed-state quantum coherence, and iv) high gain due to incoherent pumping action.

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How to realize a negative refractive index material at the atomic level in an optical frequency range?

Cited by 48 publications

References 23 publications

Electromagnetically Induced Left Handedness in Optically Excited Four-Level Atomic Media

Electromagnetically Induced Left Handedness in Optically Excited Four-Level Atomic Media

Magnetic Response and Negative Refraction at Optical Frequencies on the Basis of Electronic Transitions in Rare-Earth Ions Doped Crystals

A Dressed-State Assisted Left-Handed Coherent Medium for High-Gain Optical Amplification

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