Metamaterials with custom emissivity polarization in the near-infrared

Metamaterials have been previously studied for their ability to tailor the dispersive infrared (IR) emissivity of a surface. Here, we investigate metamaterial coatings based on an electromagnetic band-gap surface for use as near-IR emitters with custom polarization selectivity. A genetic algorithm is successfully employed to optimize the metamaterial structures to exhibit custom linear, circular, and elliptical polarization. A study is also conducted on a bi-anisotropic slab, showing that anisotropic chirality is required in the metamaterial structure in order to achieve circular or elliptical emissivity polarization.