Optical Tellegen meta-matter

Optical materials are at the heart of modern technology, from optical communication, information processing and storage to biosensing, energy production and harvesting and conventional consumer optics.

However, all the functionality of optical materials comes from the interaction of materials with light through electrical polarization.

Metamaterials, artificial matter built from meta-atoms constituents going beyond the natural properties then allow exploiting the optical magnetic interaction.

The next level of complexity is the realization of non-reciprocal optical matter featuring magneto-electric response (so called Tellegen materials).

However, this is so far beyond the experimental reach, only predicted theoretically and in practice realized below the microwave frequencies.

In this project we will, for the first time, experimentally build Tellegen metamaterial for the visible optical range by smart electromagnetic design and advanced nanofabrication and will exemplify their outstanding optical properties by creating a one-way viewing glass.