Formulating Fermat's principle for light traveling in negative refraction materials

V.G. Veselago^a, b
^aProkhorov General Physics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Vavilova 38, Moscow, 119991, Russian Federation
^bMoscow Institute of Physics and Technology (National Research University), Institutskii per. 9, Dolgoprudny, Moscow Region, 141700, Russian Federation

The formulation of Fermat’s principle for electromagnetic waves traveling in materials with a negative refractive index is refined. It is shown that a formulation in terms of the minimum (or extremum) of wave travel time between two points is not correct in general. The correct formulation involves the extremum of the total optical length, with the optical length for the wave propagation through left-handed materials taken to be negative.

PACS: 42.15.−i, 42.79.Bh, 78.20.Ci (all)
DOI: 10.1070/PU2002v045n10ABEH001223
URL: https://ufn.ru/en/articles/2002/10/e/
Web of Science

000181011300005
Citation: Veselago V G "Formulating Fermat's principle for light traveling in negative refraction materials" Phys. Usp. 45 1097–1099 (2002)

BibTexBibNote ® (generic)BibNote ® (RIS)MedlineRefWorks

Оригинал: Веселаго В Г «О формулировке принципа Ферма для света, распространяющегося в веществах с отрицательным преломлением» УФН 172 1215–1218 (2002); DOI: 10.3367/UFNr.0172.200210e.1215

References (9) Cited by (38) Similar articles (20) ↓

V.G. Veselago “Energy, linear momentum, and mass transfer by an electromagnetic wave in a negative-refraction medium” Phys. Usp. 52 649–654 (2009)
K.Yu. Bliokh, Yu.P. Bliokh “What are the left-handed media and what is interesting about them?” Phys. Usp. 47 393–400 (2004)
E.H. Lock “The properties of isofrequency dependences and the laws of geometrical optics” Phys. Usp. 51 375–393 (2008)
A.A. Kolokolov “Fresnel formulas and the principle of causality” Phys. Usp. 42 931 (1999)
V.V. Shevchenko “Forward and backward waves: three definitions and their interrelation and applicability” Phys. Usp. 50 287–292 (2007)
A.P. Vinogradov, A.V. Dorofeenko, S. Zouhdi “On the problem of the effective parameters of metamaterials” Phys. Usp. 51 485–492 (2008)
G.B. Malykin “Sagnac effect in ring lasers and ring resonators. How does the refraction index of the optical medium influence the sensitivity to rotation?” Phys. Usp. 57 714–720 (2014)
V.V. Shevchenko “Localization of a stationary electromagnetic field by a planar boundary of a metamaterial” Phys. Usp. 54 1131–1142 (2011)
A.V. Vashkovskii, E.H. Lock “Negative refractive index for a surface magnetostatic wave propagating through the boundarybetween a ferrite and ferrite-insulator-metal media” Phys. Usp. 47 601–605 (2004)
A.P. Potylitsyn, A.V. Vukolov et al “X-ray Cherenkov radiation near photoabsorption edge” Phys. Usp. 68 1268–1282 (2025)
B.M. Bolotovskii, S.N. Stolyarov “Reflection of light from a moving mirror and related problems” Sov. Phys. Usp. 32 813–827 (1989)
V.M. Agranovich “Effects of the internal field in the spectra of molecular crystals and the theory of excitons” Sov. Phys. Usp. 17 103–117 (1974)
E.A. Turov “Can the magnetoelectric effect coexist with weak piezomagnetism and ferromagnetism?” Phys. Usp. 37 303–310 (1994)
F.V. Ignaovich, V.K. Ignatovich “Optics of anisotropic media” Phys. Usp. 55 709–720 (2012)
I.V. Sokolov “The angular momentum of an electromagnetic wave, the Sadovskii effect, and the generation of magnetic fields in a plasma” Sov. Phys. Usp. 34 (10) 925–932 (1991)
A.M. Bazuev, K.M. Bokova “Demonstration of transmission interception of modulated oscillations with a Helium-neon laser beam” Sov. Phys. Usp. 15 821–821 (1973)
B.Sh. Perkal’skis, V.L. Larin et al “Classroom installation for the observation of the Doppler phenomenon with the aid of a laser” Sov. Phys. Usp. 15 121–123 (1972)
K.S. Vul’fson, L.P. Kovrigin “Observation of Sommerfeld diffraction from a specularly reflecting half-plane” Sov. Phys. Usp. 11 132–132 (1968)
Ya.E. Amstislavskii “Demonstration of lower-order multiray interference fringes” Sov. Phys. Usp. 10 400–402 (1967)
P. Paradoksov “Doppler effect in the case of a moving image” Sov. Phys. Usp. 9 276–277 (1966)

The list is formed automatically.