Zero-forward Kerker scattering via synthesized complex-frequency excitation
Abstract
All objects illuminated with light inevitably cast a shadow -- a universal phenomenon encapsulated in the fundamental property that all passive systems with plane-wave illumination feature a non-zero forward scattering amplitude. Since Kerker's landmark 1983 paper, considerable effort has been devoted to overcoming this limitation and achieving the elimination of forward scattering -- an objective now widely known as the zero-forward Kerker scattering. However, this objective is fundamentally restricted to active systems, requiring either physical gain in materials or virtual gain in the excitation source. Despite advances in active materials science and non-Hermitian photonics, the experimental realization of zero-forward Kerker scattering still remains an open challenge. Here, we show, both theoretically and experimentally, how zero-forward Kerker scattering can be effectively synthesized by a weighted superposition of readily accessible real-frequency responses. Our synthetic recipe builds on creating an artificial pole at a complex frequency that prevails over inherent scattering poles. These findings not only unlock a realistic experimental framework for non-Hermitian light-matter interactions, but also hold technological relevance for non-invasive sensing and imaging.
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BibTeX
@misc{liu2026zeroforward,
title = {{Zero-forward Kerker scattering via synthesized complex-frequency excitation}},
author = {Jianfei Liu† and Zheng Gong† and Ao Li and Hongsheng Chen and Stefan Rotter and Xiao Lin},
howpublished = {arXiv},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2609.29293},
eprint = {2609.29293},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.29293},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Zero-forward Kerker scattering via synthesized complex-frequency excitation
AU - Jianfei Liu†
AU - Zheng Gong†
AU - Ao Li
AU - Hongsheng Chen
AU - Stefan Rotter
AU - Xiao Lin
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/24
PB - arXiv
DO - 10.48550/arxiv.2609.29293
UR - https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.29293
AB - All objects illuminated with light inevitably cast a shadow -- a universal phenomenon encapsulated in the fundamental property that all passive systems with plane-wave illumination feature a non-zero forward scattering amplitude. Since Kerker's landmark 1983 paper, considerable effort has been devoted to overcoming this limitation and achieving the elimination of forward scattering -- an objective now widely known as the zero-forward Kerker scattering. However, this objective is fundamentally restricted to active systems, requiring either physical gain in materials or virtual gain in the excitation source. Despite advances in active materials science and non-Hermitian photonics, the experimental realization of zero-forward Kerker scattering still remains an open challenge. Here, we show, both theoretically and experimentally, how zero-forward Kerker scattering can be effectively synthesized by a weighted superposition of readily accessible real-frequency responses. Our synthetic recipe builds on creating an artificial pole at a complex frequency that prevails over inherent scattering poles. These findings not only unlock a realistic experimental framework for non-Hermitian light-matter interactions, but also hold technological relevance for non-invasive sensing and imaging.
ER -