Metasurfaces and the generalization of Snell's law at planar and spherical interfaces

• Grant number: 19/11610-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: September 01, 2019
• End date: August 31, 2020
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Electrical Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Leonardo Andre Ambrosio
• Grantee: Luiza Sossai de Souza
• Host Institution: Escola de Engenharia de São Carlos (EESC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

This proposal of scientific initiation aims to promote theoretical and numerical studies about the generalization of Snell's law in plane and spherical dielectric interfaces when in presence of a metasurface. To achieve that goal, this project includes activities to reinforce fundamental concepts of electromagnetism, to understand the origin of Snell's law according to Fermat's principle and the concept of optical path. The generalization of this law is based upon the fact that metasurfaces - artificial nano-structured materials whose thickness are much smaller than the wavelength of the incident light, being capable of manipulating almost arbitrarily its phase - provokes abrupt variations of the phase in the interface, which needs to be considered reinterpreting Fermat's principle with a stationary phase principle. It is expected that this project be the basis to researches about a theme that has not been well explored yet and with significant importance in the field of electromagnetic scattering and light-matter interaction: the trapping, capturing and manipulation of micro-sized spherical and dielectric particles covered by metasurfaces, under the geometric optics regime.