Open AccessThe role of dispersion in the propagation of rotating beams in left-handed materials
Author(s) -
Qiang Lv,
Liu Hong-Yao,
Hailu Luo,
Shuangchun Wen,
Weixing Shu,
Yanhong Zou,
Dianyuan Fan
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.17.005645
Subject(s) - physics , optics , transverse plane , superposition principle , antiparallel (mathematics) , dispersion (optics) , refractive index , beam (structure) , angular momentum , energy flow , rotation (mathematics) , classical mechanics , energy (signal processing) , quantum mechanics , geometry , mathematics , structural engineering , magnetic field , engineering
We theoretically study the role of dispersion in propagation of rotating beams in left-handed materials (LHMs). By modeling the rotating beam as a superposition of two rotating Laguerre-Gaussian beams with opposite chirality, same magnitude and different frequencies, we demonstrate that the rotation property of the rotating beam in LHM is significantly dependent on the sign and strength of dispersion: In the normal dispersion region, the direction of transverse energy flow is reversed compared to the vacuum, due to the negative refractive index of LHM, while in the anomalous dispersion region it may be parallel or antiparallel to that in the case of vacuum, depending on the strength of dispersion. In addition, we find that the angular momentum density can be parallel or antiparallel to the transverse energy flow in LHM, while the angular momentum flow is always opposite to the transverse energy flow.