An official website of the United States government
Abstract Structured waves are ubiquitous for all areas of wave physics, both classical and quantum, where the wavefields are inhomogeneous and cannot be approximated by a single plane wave. Even the interference of two plane waves, or of a single inhomogeneous (evanescent) wave, provides a number of nontrivial phenomena and additional functionalities as compared to a single plane wave. Complex wavefields with inhomogeneities in the amplitude, phase, and polarization, including topological structures and singularities, underpin modern nanooptics and photonics, yet they are equally important, e.g., for quantum matter waves, acoustics, water waves, etc. Structured waves are crucial in optical and electron microscopy, wave propagation and scattering, imaging, communications, quantum optics, topological and non-Hermitian wave systems, quantum condensed-matter systems, optomechanics, plasmonics and metamaterials, optical and acoustic manipulation, and so forth. This Roadmap is written collectively by prominent researchers and aims to survey the role of structured waves in various areas of wave physics. Providing background, current research, and anticipating future developments, it will be of interest to a wide cross-disciplinary audience.
more »
« less
This content will become publicly available on April 1, 2026
Emulation of Schrödinger dynamics with metamaterials
The exploration of metamaterials with artificial sub-wavelength structures has empowered researchers to engineer the propagation of classical waves, enabling advancements in areas such as imaging, sensing, communication, and energy harvesting. Concurrently, the investigation into topology and symmetry has not only unveiled valuable insights into fundamental physics, but also expanded our ability to manipu- late waves effectively. Combined with the remarkable flexibility and diversity of artificial metamaterials, these considerations have sparked a focused research interest. Notably, a class of structures capable of supporting topological propagation modes akin to the Schrödinger equation has been identified. Leveraging metamaterials to emulate Schrödinger dynamics has emerged as a promising avenue for robust wave manipulation and the exploration of quantum phenomena beyond the confines of electronic systems. Despite rapid progress in this burgeoning field, comprehensive summaries are scarce. Thus, this review aims to systematically consolidate recent advancements in classical wave physics based on a Schrödinger equation approach. This discourse initiates with an overview of quantum and classical wave descriptions, subsequently delving into the elucidation of numerous models realized across diverse experimental platforms, including photonic/phononic waveguides, acoustic cavities, and optomechanics. Finally, we address the challenges and prospects associated with emulating Schrödinger dynamics, underscoring the potential for groundbreaking developments in this captivating domain.
more »
« less
- PAR ID:
- 10651136
- Publisher / Repository:
- Elsevier
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Science Bulletin
- Volume:
- 70
- Issue:
- 8
- ISSN:
- 2095-9273
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 1347 to 1360
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
More Like this
-
-
Abstract It is shown that a class of approximate resonance solutions in the three-body problem under the Newtonian gravitational force are equivalent to quantized solutions of a modified Schrödinger equation for a wide range of masses that transition between energy states. In the macroscopic scale, the resonance solutions are shown to transition from one resonance type to another through weak capture at one of the bodies, while in the Schrödinger equation, one obtains quantized wave solutions transitioning between different energies. The resonance transition dynamics provides a classical model of a particle moving between different energy states in the Schrödinger equation. This methodology provides a connection between celestial and quantum mechanics.more » « less
-
Phononic waveguides (PnWGs) are devices with rationally designed periodic structures to manipulate mechanical oscillations and to engineer and control the propagation of acoustic waves, thus allowing for frequency and band selection of wave transmission and routing, promising for both classical and quantum transduction on chip-scale platforms with various constituent materials of interest. They can be incorporated into both electromechanical and optomechanical signal transduction schemes. Here, we present an overview of emerging micro/nanoscale PnWGs and offer perspectives for future. We evaluate the typical structural designs, frequency scaling, and phononic band structures of the PnWGs. Material choices, fabrication techniques, and characterization schemes are discussed based on different PnWG designs. For classical transduction schemes, an all-phononic integrated circuit perspective is proposed. Toward emerging quantum applications, the potential of utilizing PnWGs as universal interfaces and transduction channels has been examined. We envision PnWGs with extraordinary propagation properties, such as nonreciprocity and active tunability, can be realized with unconventional design strategies (e.g., inverse design) and advanced materials (e.g., van der Waals layered crystals), opening opportunities in both classical and quantum signal transduction schemes.more » « less
-
Abstract In solid state physics, a bandgap (BG) refers to a range of energies where no electronic states can exist. This concept was extended to classical waves, spawning the entire fields of photonic and phononic crystals where BGs are frequency (or wavelength) intervals where wave propagation is prohibited. For elastic waves, BGs are found in periodically alternating mechanical properties (i.e., stiffness and density). This gives birth to phononic crystals and later elastic metamaterials that have enabled unprecedented functionalities for a wide range of applications. Planar metamaterials are built for vibration shielding, while a myriad of works focus on integrating phononic crystals in microsystems for filtering, waveguiding, and dynamical strain energy confinement in optomechanical systems. Furthermore, the past decade has witnessed the rise of topological insulators, which leads to the creation of elastodynamic analogs of topological insulators for robust manipulation of mechanical waves. Meanwhile, additive manufacturing has enabled the realization of 3D architected elastic metamaterials, which extends their functionalities. This review aims to comprehensively delineate the rich physical background and the state‐of‐the art in elastic metamaterials and phononic crystals that possess engineered BGs for different functionalities and applications, and to provide a roadmap for future directions of these manmade materials.more » « less
-
Photonic technologies continue to drive the quest for new optical materials with unprecedented responses. A major frontier in this field is the exploration of nonlocal (spatially dispersive) materials, going beyond the local, wavevector-independent assumption traditionally adopted in optical material modeling. The growing interest in plasmonic, polaritonic, and quantum materials has revealed naturally occurring nonlocalities, emphasizing the need for more accurate models to predict and design their optical responses. This has major implications also for topological, nonreciprocal, and time-varying systems based on these material platforms. Beyond natural materials, artificially structured materials—metamaterials and metasurfaces—can provide even stronger and engineered nonlocal effects, emerging from long-range interactions or multipolar effects. This is a rapidly expanding area in the field of photonic metamaterials, with open frontiers yet to be explored. In metasurfaces, in particular, nonlocality engineering has emerged as a powerful tool for designing strongly wavevector-dependent responses, enabling enhanced wavefront control, spatial compression, multifunctional devices, and wave-based computing. Furthermore, nonlocality and related concepts play a critical role in defining the ultimate limits of what is possible in optics, photonics, and wave physics. This Roadmap aims to survey the most exciting developments in nonlocal photonic materials and metamaterials, highlight new opportunities and open challenges, and chart new pathways that will drive this emerging field forward—toward new scientific discoveries and technological advancements.more » « less
