Incandescent temporal metamaterials

Regarded as a promising alternative to spatially shaping matter, time-varying media can be seized to control and manipulate wave phenomena, including thermal radiation. Here, based upon the framework of macroscopic quantum electrodynamics, we elaborate a comprehensive quantum theoretical formulation...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nature communications 2023-08, Vol.14 (1), p.4606-4606, Article 4606
Main Authors: Vázquez-Lozano, J. Enrique, Liberal, Iñigo
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
639/624/399/1015
639/624/400/1021
Black body radiation
Emission analysis
Emissions
Emitters
Far fields
Fluctuations
Humanities and Social Sciences
Metamaterials
Modulation
multidisciplinary
Narrowband
Quantum electrodynamics
Radiation
Science
Science (multidisciplinary)
Thermal emission
Thermal radiation
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Summary:Regarded as a promising alternative to spatially shaping matter, time-varying media can be seized to control and manipulate wave phenomena, including thermal radiation. Here, based upon the framework of macroscopic quantum electrodynamics, we elaborate a comprehensive quantum theoretical formulation that lies the basis for investigating thermal emission effects in time-modulated media. Our theory unveils unique physical features brought about by time-varying media: nontrivial correlations between fluctuating electromagnetic currents at different frequencies and positions, thermal radiation overcoming the black-body spectrum, and quantum vacuum amplification effects at finite temperature. We illustrate how these features lead to striking phenomena and innovative thermal emitters, specifically, showing that the time-modulation releases strong field fluctuations confined within epsilon-near-zero (ENZ) bodies, and that, in turn, it enables a narrowband (partially coherent) emission spanning the whole range of wavevectors, from near to far-field regimes. Here the authors employ quantum electrodynamics to formulate thermal emission effects in time-modulated media, resulting in innovative thermal emitters. They show that time modulation induces strong field fluctuations in epsilon-near-zero bodies, enabling narrowband emission across the entire range of wavevectors, from near to far-field regimes.
ISSN:2041-1723
2041-1723
DOI:10.1038/s41467-023-40281-2