Space–time graded-index interfaces and related chirping

Space–time modulated systems have recently emerged as a powerful platform for dynamic electromagnetic processing in both space and time. Most of the related research so far has assumed abrupt parameter profiles. This paper extends the field to generalized graded-index (GRIN) interfaces, which are both more practical than ideal profiles and offer new avenues for wave manipulations. It presents an exact solution for wave propagation across arbitrary space–time modulated GRIN interfaces and describes versatile chirping effects. The solution is based on a generalization of the impulse response method from linear time-invariant to linear space–time-varying systems. The proposed framework shows that space–time GRIN systems represent a novel approach for generating a new form of chirping that is not inherently based on dispersion, with promising applications in pulse shaping and signal processing.