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Switchable unidirectional waves on mono- and diatomic metamaterials.

Abstract:
We demonstrate switchable unidirectional propagation of slow waves of coupling within a metamaterial array of strongly coupled elements. We predict theoretically and verify experimentally that the direction of propagation of magnetoinductive waves for any chosen excitation pattern is dictated by the dispersion relations, with forward and backward waves propagating in opposite directions along a chain of meta-atoms. We further prove that the same fundamental phenomenon of direction selectivity due to the forward/backward wave nature is not limited to magnetoinductive waves: we predict analytically and verify numerically the same selective unidirectional signal propagation occurring in nanostructured metamaterial arrays with purely electric coupling. Generalising our method of unidirectional waveguiding to a diatomic magnetoinductive array featuring both forward-wave and backward-wave dispersion branches, switchable unidirectional signal propagation is achieved with distinct frequency bands with opposite directions of signal propagation. Finally, by expanding our technique of selective unidirectional waveguiding to a 2D metasurface, a selective directional control of waves in two dimensions is demonstrated opening up possibilities for directional wireless signal transfer via magnetoinductive surfaces. The observed phenomenon is analogous to polarisation-controlled near-field interference for unidirectional guiding of surface plasmon-polaritons.
Publication status:
Published
Peer review status:
Peer reviewed

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Publisher copy:
10.1038/s41598-022-20972-4

Authors


More by this author
Institution:
University of Oxford
Division:
MPLS
Department:
Engineering Science
Role:
Author
More by this author
Institution:
University of Oxford
Division:
MPLS
Department:
Engineering Science
Oxford college:
St Hugh's College
Role:
Author
ORCID:
0000-0003-3046-7173
More by this author
Institution:
University of Oxford
Division:
MPLS
Department:
Engineering Science
Oxford college:
Wadham College
Role:
Author
ORCID:
0000-0002-0269-7273


Publisher:
Springer Nature
Journal:
Scientific Reports More from this journal
Volume:
12
Issue:
1
Article number:
16845
Publication date:
2022-10-07
Acceptance date:
2022-09-21
DOI:
EISSN:
2045-2322
Pmid:
36207465


Language:
English
Keywords:
Pubs id:
1286111
Local pid:
pubs:1286111
Deposit date:
2022-11-04

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