Using self-resonant coils in a strongly coupled regime, we experimentally demonstrated efficient nonradiative power transfer over distances up to 8 times the radius of the coils. We were able to transfer 60 watts with approximately 40% efficiency over distances in excess of 2 meters. We present a quantitative model describing the power transfer, which matches the experimental results to within 5%. We discuss the practical applicability of this system and suggest directions for further study.

The application of topology, the mathematics studying conserved properties through continuous deformations, is creating new opportunities within photonics, bringing with it theoretical discoveries and a wealth of potential applications. This field was inspired by the discovery of topological insulators, in which interfacial electrons transport without dissipation even in the presence of impurities. Similarly, the use of carefully-designed wave-vector space topologies allows the creation of interfaces that support new states of light with useful and interesting properties. In particular, it suggests the realization of unidirectional waveguides that allow light to flow around large imperfections without back-reflection. The present review explains the underlying principles and highlights how topological effects can be realized in photonic crystals, coupled resonators, metamaterials and quasicrystals.Frequency, wavevector, polarization and phase are degrees of freedom that are often used to describe a photonic system. In the last few years, topology -a property of a photonic material that characterizes the quantized global behavior of the wavefunctions on its entire dispersion band-has been emerging as another indispensable ingredient, opening a path forward to the discovery of fundamentally new states of light and possibly revolutionary applications. Possible practical applications of topological photonics include photonic circuitry less dependent on isolators and slow light insensitive to disorder.Topological ideas in photonics branch from exciting developments in solid-state materials, along with the discovery of new phases of matter called topological insulators [1, 2]. Topological insulators, being insulating in their bulk, conduct electricity on their surfaces without dissipation or backscattering, even in the presence of large impurities. The first example was the integer quantum Hall effect, discovered in 1980. In quantum Hall states, two-dimensional (2D) electrons in a uniform magnetic field form quantized cyclotron orbits of discrete eigenvalues called Landau levels. When the electron energy sits within the energy gap between the Landau levels, the measured edge conductance remains constant within the accuracy of about one part in a billion, regardless of sample details like size, composition and impurity levels. In 1988, Haldane proposed a theoretical model to achieve the same phenomenon but in a periodic system without Landau levels [3], the so-called quantum anomalous Hall effect.Posted on arXiv in 2005, Haldane and Raghu transcribed the key feature of this electronic model into photonics [4,5]. They theoretically proposed the photonic analogue of the quantum (anomalous) Hall effect in photonic crystals [6], the periodic variation of optical materials, molding photons the same way as solids modulating electrons. Three years later, the idea was confirmed by Wang et al., who provided realistic material designs [7] and experimental observations [8]. Those studies spurred numerous subsequent theoretical [9...

CES using a square lattice of magnetized ferrite rods that localize a unidirectional

We describe a fully-vectorial, three-dimensional algorithm to compute the definite-frequency eigenstates of Maxwell's equations in arbitrary periodic dielectric structures, including systems with anisotropy (birefringence) or magnetic materials, using preconditioned block-iterative eigensolvers in a planewave basis. Favorable scaling with the system size and the number of computed bands is exhibited. We propose a new effective dielectric tensor for anisotropic structures, and demonstrate that O Delta x;2 convergence can be achieved even in systems with sharp material discontinuities. We show how it is possible to solve for interior eigenvalues, such as localized defect modes, without computing the many underlying eigenstates. Preconditioned conjugate-gradient Rayleigh-quotient minimization is compared with the Davidson method for eigensolution, and a number of iteration variants and preconditioners are characterized. Our implementation is freely available on the Web.

Bound states in the continuum are waves that, defying conventional wisdom, remain localized even though they coexist with a continuous spectrum of radiating waves that can carry energy away. Their existence was first proposed in quantum mechanics and, being a general wave phenomenon, later identified in electromagnetic, acoustic, and water waves. They have been studied in a wide variety of material systems such as photonic crystals, optical waveguides and fibers, piezoelectric materials, quantum dots, graphene, and topological insulators. This Review describes recent developments in this field with an emphasis on the physical mechanisms that lead to these unusual states across the seemingly very different platforms. We discuss recent experimental realizations, existing applications, and directions for future work.

No abstract

No abstract

This paper describes Meep, a popular free implementation of the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method for simulating electromagnetism. In particular, we focus on aspects of implementing a full-featured FDTD package that go beyond standard textbook descriptions of the algorithm, or ways in which Meep differs from typical FDTD implementations. These include pervasive interpolation and accurate modeling of subpixel features, advanced signal processing, support for nonlinear materials via Padé approximants, and flexible scripting capabilities. PACS