title: Controlling Cherenkov radiation with transformation-optical metamaterials.
abstract: In high energy physics, unknown particles are identified by determining their mass from the Cherenkov radiation cone that is emitted as they pass through the detector apparatus. However, at higher particle momentum, the angle of the Cherenkov cone saturates to a value independent of the mass of the generating particle, making it difficult to effectively distinguish between different particles. Here, we show how the geometric formalism of transformation optics can be applied to describe the Cherenkov cone in an arbitrary anisotropic medium. On the basis of these results, we propose a specific anisotropic metamaterial to control Cherenkov radiation, leading to enhanced sensitivity for particle identification at higher momentum.
authors.affiliation: Applied Physics Research Group (APHY), Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, B-1050 Brussel, Belgium.
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ginis
authors.affiliation: Applied Physics Research Group (APHY), Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, B-1050 Brussel, Belgium.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Danckaert
authors.affiliation: Applied Physics Research Group (APHY), Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, B-1050 Brussel, Belgium.
authors.forename: Irina
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Veretennicoff
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Physics, Chalmers University, SE-412 96 Göteborg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tassin