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In this expository article, we present a systematic formal derivation of the Kubo formula for the linear-response current due to a time-harmonic electric field applied to non-interacting, spinless charged particles in a finite volume in the quantum setting. We model dissipation in a transparent way by assuming a sequence of scattering events occurring at random-time intervals modeled by a Poisson distribution. By taking the large-volume limit, we derive special cases of the formula for free electrons, continuum and tight-binding periodic systems, and the nearest-neighbor tight-binding model of graphene. We present the analogous formalism with dissipation to derive the Drude conductivity of classical free particles. 

Abstract We describe the low‐temperature optical conductivity as a function of frequency for a quantum‐mechanical system of electrons that hop along a polymer chain. To this end, we invoke the Su–Schrieffer–Heegertight‐bindingHamiltonian for noninteracting spinless electrons on a one‐dimensional (1D) lattice. Our goal is to show via asymptotics how the interband conductivity of this system behaves as the smallest energy bandgap tends to close. Our analytical approach includes: (i) the Kubo‐type formulation for the optical conductivity with a nonzero damping due to microscopic collisions, (ii) reduction of this formulation to a 1D momentum integral over the Brillouin zone, and (iii) evaluation of this integral in terms of elementary functions via the three‐dimensional Mellin transform with respect to key physical parameters and subsequent inversion in a region of the respective complex space. Our approach reveals an intimate connection of the behavior of the conductivity to particular singularities of its Mellin transform. The analytical results are found in good agreement with direct numerical computations. 

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.