A dynamical formulation of one-dimensional scattering theory and its applications in optics

•Proposes a dynamical theory of scattering in one dimension.•Derives and solves dynamical equations for scattering data.•Gives a new inverse scattering prescription.•Constructs optical potentials with desired scattering properties.

We develop a dynamical formulation of one-dimensional scattering theory where the reflection and transmission amplitudes for a general, possibly complex and energy-dependent, scattering potential are given as solutions of a set of dynamical equations. By decoupling and partially integrating these equations, we reduce the scattering problem to a second order linear differential equation with universal initial conditions that is equivalent to an initial-value time-independent Schrödinger equation. We give explicit formulas for the reflection and transmission amplitudes in terms of the solution of either of these equations and employ them to outline an inverse-scattering method for constructing finite-range potentials with desirable scattering properties at any prescribed wavelength. In particular, we construct optical potentials displaying threshold lasing, antilasing, and unidirectional invisibility.