Analysis of the impact of edge diffraction on the manipulation of photonic nanojets and photonic hooks using an energy-based model in diffraction-based structures

Abstract Photonic nanojets (PNJs) and photonic hooks (PHs) are two significant effects in Mesotronics. However, it is difficult to analyze and control the two phenomena generated by diffraction-based structures, such as rectangles and right-angled trapezoids, using diffraction theory. This work focuses on the modulation of incident fields by edge diffraction and the reconstruction of energy distribution, and proposes a model based on energy flows and energy reconstruction, called the ‘energy-based model’, to analyze the formation of PNJs and PHs through such structures. This model reveals that the morphology of PNJ and PH originates from the contributions of different regions of the incident energy, especially the crucial influence of edge diffraction, and successfully clarifies the modulation mechanism of the near-field and far-field regions of PNJ, as well as the tailoring mechanism of the two arms of PH. On the one hand, the model provides reasonable and intuitive explanations for the control of energy flow paths resulting from edge diffraction in rectangles and their variants with different parameters on the generation of PNJs and PHs. On the other hand, it also serves as a basis for reverse design. By adjusting energy flow and energy reconstruction through alterations in incident conditions or structural shapes, PHJs and PHs can be tailored easily and flexibly. The model is also been validated to be applicable in explaining many reported works. The results indicate that the ‘energy-based model’, which describes the energy flow paths resulting from edge diffraction, offers intuitive, convenient, and predictive advantages in analyzing the morphological variations of PNJs and PHs generated by diffraction-based structures, such as rectangles, trapezoids, and their variants. This provides a valuable reference for relevant research on Mesotronics.