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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Phys.

Sec. Optics and Photonics

Plane-wave scattering by asymmetric mesoscale semicylinder: Controllable formation of multiple interrelated photonic nanojets

Provisionally accepted
Oleg AngelskyOleg Angelsky1Aleksandr BekshaevAleksandr Bekshaev2*Claudia Yu. ZenkovaClaudia Yu. Zenkova1M. S. GavrylyakM. S. Gavrylyak1Peter MaksimyakPeter Maksimyak1O. P. MaksimyakO. P. Maksimyak1S. ShchukinS. Shchukin1Jun ZhengJun Zheng3*Jingxian CaiJingxian Cai3
  • 1Yu. Fed'kovich Chernivtsi National University, Cernivtsi, Ukraine
  • 2Odessa I.I.Mechnikov National University, Odesa, Ukraine
  • 3Research Institute of Zhejiang University - Taizhou, Taizhou, China

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This work reveals new possibilities for creating controllable photonic nanojets (PNJs) and their complexes, "photonic multijets" (PMJs), characterized by the specific morphological and energy-concentrating properties. These specific light structures can be generated upon scattering a monochromatic plane wave by a mesoscale dielectric semicylinder (SC) with geometric asymmetry (its flat surface is inclined with respect to the incident wave). An output field in the form of PMJ unites several interrelated PNJs of comparable intensities. The main spatial features of the separate PNJs, produced in this process, and their interrelations, are investigated via computer modeling based on the COMSOL Multiphysics environment and finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method. The number, positions, orientations and intensities of the PNJs depend on the SC size, orientation and dielectric parameters as well as on the exciting-light wavelength. The modeling results show the possibilities for purposeful creation and control of the PMJs with desirable characteristics. In particular, excitation by bi-chromatic light with two different wavelengths enables realization of a passive switching element capable of dynamically altering the electromagnetic field distribution depending on the irradiation spectrum. This can be used for creation of optical splitters and switching devices. Their potential characteristics are discussed as well as the prospects for experimental implementation and applications in optical signal-processing systems.

Keywords: bichromatic excitation, controllable intensity distribution, dielectric semicylinder, Light scattering, Optical splitter, optical switch, Photonic nanojet

Received: 12 Nov 2025; Accepted: 26 Jan 2026.

Copyright: © 2026 Angelsky, Bekshaev, Zenkova, Gavrylyak, Maksimyak, Maksimyak, Shchukin, Zheng and Cai. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

* Correspondence:
Aleksandr Bekshaev
Jun Zheng

Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

Supplementary Material