Controlling Voigt waves by the Pockels effect

Abstract

Voigt wave propagation was investigated in a homogenized composite material (HCM) arising from a porous electro--optic host material infiltrated by a fluid of refractive index $n_a$. The constitutive parameters of the HCM were estimated using the extended Bruggeman homogenization formalism. Numerical studies revealed that the directions which support Voigt wave propagation in the HCM could be substantially controlled by means of an applied dc electric field. Furthermore, the extent to which this control could be achieved was found to be sensitive to the porosity of the host material, the shapes, sizes and orientations of the pores, as well as the refractive index $n_a$. These findings may be particularly significant for potential technological applications of Voigt waves, such as in optical sensing.