Structured 3D linear space-time light bullets by nonlocal nanophotonics

  • Light Sci Appl. 2021 Aug 2;10(1):160. doi: 10.1038/s41377-021-00595-6.
Cheng Guo  1 ,  Meng Xiao  2 ,  Meir Orenstein  3 ,  Shanhui Fan  4
Affiliations
  • 1. Department of Applied Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
  • 2. Key Laboratory of Artificial Micro- and Nano-structures of Ministry of Education and School of Physics and Technology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China.
  • 3. Andrew & Erna Viterbi Department of Electrical Engineering, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 32000, Israel.
  • 4. Ginzton Laboratory and Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA. [email protected].
PMID: 34341327 DOI: 10.1038/s41377-021-00595-6
Abstract

We propose the generation of 3D linear light bullets propagating in free space using a single passive nonlocal optical surface. The nonlocal nanophotonics can generate space-time coupling without any need for bulky pulse-shaping and spatial modulation techniques. Our approach provides simultaneous control of various properties of the light bullets, including the external properties such as the group velocity and the propagation distance, and internal degrees of freedom such as the spin angular momentum and the orbital angular momentum.