title: Multipolar interference effects in nanophotonics.
abstract: Scattering of electromagnetic waves by an arbitrary nanoscale object can be characterized by a multipole decomposition of the electromagnetic field that allows one to describe the scattering intensity and radiation pattern through interferences of dominating multipole modes excited. In modern nanophotonics, both generation and interference of multipole modes start to play an indispensable role, and they enable nanoscale manipulation of light with many related applications. Here, we review the multipolar interference effects in metallic, metal-dielectric and dielectric nanostructures, and suggest a comprehensive view on many phenomena involving the interferences of electric, magnetic and toroidal multipoles, which drive a number of recently discussed effects in nanophotonics such as unidirectional scattering, effective optical antiferromagnetism, generalized Kerker scattering with controlled angular patterns, generalized Brewster angle, and non-radiating optical anapoles. We further discuss other types of possible multipolar interference effects not yet exploited in the literature and envisage the prospect of achieving more flexible and advanced nanoscale control of light relying on the concepts of multipolar interference through full phase and amplitude engineering.This article is part of the themed issue 'New horizons for nanophotonics'.
authors.affiliation: College of Optoelectronic Science and Engineering, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha, Hunan 410073, People's Republic of China wei.liu.pku@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7067-6239
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Nonlinear Physics Centre, Research School of Physics and Engineering, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2601, Australia.|Department of Nanophotonics and Metamaterials, ITMO University, St Petersburg 197101, Russia.
authors.forename: Yuri S
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3410-812X
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Kivshar
keywords: Mie resonances; anapole; interference; multipole expansion; nanostructures