Magnetic and electric coherence in forward- and back-scattered electromagnetic waves by a single dielectric subwavelength sphere

J.M. Geffrin, B. García-Cámara, R. Gómez-Medina, P. Albella, L.S. Froufe-Pérez, C. Eyraud, A. Litman, R. Vaillon, F. González, M. Nieto-Vesperinas, J.J. Sáenz and F. Moreno ()
Additional contact information
J.M. Geffrin: Institut Fresnel, CNRS, Aix-Marseille Université, Ecole Centrale Marseille, Campus de St Jérôme
B. García-Cámara: Research Center on Nanoscience and Nanotechnology CIN2(CSIC) and CIBER-BBN, Campus UAB, Bellaterra
R. Gómez-Medina: Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Campus de Cantoblanco
P. Albella: Material Physics Center CSIC-UPV/EHU and Donostia International Physics Center DIPC, Paseo Manuel de Lardizabal 5, 20018 Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain
L.S. Froufe-Pérez: Instituto de Estructura de la Materia, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas CSIC, Serrano 121, 28006 Madrid, Spain
C. Eyraud: Institut Fresnel, CNRS, Aix-Marseille Université, Ecole Centrale Marseille, Campus de St Jérôme
A. Litman: Institut Fresnel, CNRS, Aix-Marseille Université, Ecole Centrale Marseille, Campus de St Jérôme
R. Vaillon: Université de Lyon, CNRS, INSA-Lyon, UCBL, CETHIL, UMR5008
F. González: Grupo de Óptica, Universidad de Cantabria
M. Nieto-Vesperinas: Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas CSIC, Campus de Cantoblanco
J.J. Sáenz: Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Campus de Cantoblanco
F. Moreno: Grupo de Óptica, Universidad de Cantabria

Nature Communications, 2012, vol. 3, issue 1, 1-8

Abstract: Abstract Magnetodielectric small spheres present unusual electromagnetic scattering features, theoretically predicted a few decades ago. However, achieving such behaviour has remained elusive, due to the non-magnetic character of natural optical materials or the difficulty in obtaining low-loss highly permeable magnetic materials in the gigahertz regime. Here we present unambiguous experimental evidence that a single low-loss dielectric subwavelength sphere of moderate refractive index (n=4 like some semiconductors at near-infrared) radiates fields identical to those from equal amplitude crossed electric and magnetic dipoles, and indistinguishable from those of ideal magnetodielectric spheres. The measured scattering radiation patterns and degree of linear polarization (3–9 GHz/33–100 mm range) show that, by appropriately tuning the a/λ ratio, zero-backward (‘Huygens’ source) or almost zero-forward (‘Huygens’ reflector) radiated power can be obtained. These Kerker scattering conditions only depend on a/λ. Our results open new technological challenges from nano- and micro-photonics to science and engineering of antennas, metamaterials and electromagnetic devices.

Date: 2012
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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms2167

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