Reflection is one of the most fundamental properties of light propagation. The ability to engineer this property can be a powerful tool when constructing a variety of now ubiquitous optical and electronic devices, including one-way mirrors and antennas. Here, we show from both experimental and theoretical evidence that highly asymmetric reflection can be induced in reciprocal hyperbolic materials. This asymmetry stems from the asymmetric cross-polarization conversion between two linearly polarized waves, an intrinsic and more exotic property of hyperbolic media that is bereft of research. In addition to angle-controllable reflection, our findings suggest that optical devices could utilize the polarization of the incident beam, or even the polarization of the output wave, to engineer functionality; additionally, in hyperbolic slabs or films, the asymmetry can be tailored by controlling the thickness of the material. Such phenomena are key for directional-dependent optical and optoelectronic devices.
In recent work, we showed that one-way light propagation, with respect to the incidence angle, can occur in simple, natural crystalline materials, such as crystal quartz, at far-infrared frequencies. Our results support the idea that natural crystals can serve as efficient and functional oriented asymmetric absorbers, features that have led to the use of materials such as the quartz we have studied in developing on-chip devices.
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