Tunable pulse delay in an anisotropic metamaterial slab

We show that large and tunable pulse delays can be obtained at propagation through an anisotropic metamaterial slab. The pulse delay depends not only on frequency but also on the incident/propagation angle and polarization of the electromagnetic field, the last two parameters being much easier to tune than the frequency of the incident field. Although there is a trade-off between large pulse delay values and large tuning ranges, the pulse delay can be modified several times by changing the incidence angle. The results apply to a wide frequency range, from the visible to the THz spectrum.

► Large and tunable pulse delays can be obtained at propagation through an anisotropic metamaterial slab. ► The pulse delay depends on frequency and on the incident/propagation angle and polarization of the electromagnetic field. ► There is a trade-off between large pulse delay values and large tuning ranges. ► The results apply to a wide frequency range, from the visible to the THz spectrum.