Optical Spin Effects Induced by Phase Conjugation at a Space‐Time Interface

Carlo Rizza, Alessandra Contestabile, Maria Antonietta Vincenti, Giuseppe Castaldi, Marcello Ferrera, Alessandro Stroppa, Michael Scalora, Vincenzo Galdi*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

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Abstract

Electromagnetic temporal boundaries, emerging when the constitutive parameters of a medium undergo abrupt temporal variations, have garnered significant interest for their role in facilitating unconventional wave phenomena and enabling sophisticated field manipulations. A key manifestation is temporal reflection in an unbounded spatial domain, where a sudden temporal discontinuity induces phase‐conjugated backward waves alongside anomalous spin conversion. This study explores distinctive spin‐conversion dynamics at a time‐dependent spatial interface governed by Lorentz‐type dispersion, in which the plasma frequency undergoes rapid modulation over time. The interaction of a circularly polarized wave with a space‐time interface excites electromagnetic signals at the system's natural resonance, allowing precise control over polarization states. The scattered field stems from the combined influence of temporal and spatial boundaries, yielding a superposition of the original incident wave's polarization and its phase‐conjugated counterpart.
Original languageEnglish
JournalSmall Structures
Early online date3 Nov 2025
DOIs
Publication statusE-pub ahead of print - 3 Nov 2025

Keywords

  • metamaterials
  • spin-conversion phenomena
  • time-varying media

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Chemistry (miscellaneous)
  • General Materials Science
  • Environmental Science (miscellaneous)
  • Engineering (miscellaneous)
  • Energy (miscellaneous)

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