Liquid crystals, photonic crystals, metamaterials, and transformation optics

摘要

Recent advances of modern optics have been made possible with the development of unique materials, most notably liquid crystals (LC_s), photonic crystals (PC_s), and metamaterials (MM_s). LCs have already completed a revolution in the way we present information nowadays, enabling an entire industry of flat panel liquid crystal displays (LCD_s). PCs (1) and MMs (2) are further behind in terms of broad commercialization, but the change they produce in our understanding of how matter can control light is no less revolutionary, fueling dreams that only recently were science fiction, such as sub-wavelength imaging and focusing, invisibility cloaking, black hole-like light trapping, and more.