Physics Department - Berry Curvature Effect on Time Refraction

Abstract
We demonstrate that there exist frequency domain Berry curvature in the wave function of photons in dispersive optical systems. This property arises from the frequency dispersion of its dielectric function, which makes Maxwell equations a non-standard eigenvalue equation, with the eigenvalue (frequency) appearing inside the operator itself. We study this new Berry curvature effect on time refraction of magnetoplasmon-polariton as an example. It can induce deflection in the trajectory of a photon and make the ray swing.