Photonic time-crystals - fundamental concepts [Invited]

Opt Express. 2023 Mar 13;31(6):9165-9170. doi: 10.1364/OE.479367.

Abstract

Photonic Time-Crystals (PTCs) are materials in which the refractive index varies periodically and abruptly in time. This medium exhibits unusual properties such as momentum bands separated by gaps within which waves can be amplified exponentially, extracting energy from the modulation. This article provides a brief review on the concepts underlying PTCs, formulates the vision and discusses the challenges.