Versnelde ruimetijd metamaterialen

This thesis introduces and develops the theory of Accelerated Space-Time Engineered Modulation (ASTEM), a new class of electromagnetic media whose material parameters are modulated in both space and time with a nonuniform, time-dependent velocity. By incorporating modulation acceleration, ASTEMs generalize conventional time-modulated and uniformly spacetime-modulated systems, unlocking a fundamentally distinct regime of wave-medium interaction characterized by broken symmetry, dynamic Doppler effects, asymmetric scattering and synthetic space-time curvature for light. Focusing exclusively on moving-modulation systems, which are practically realizable and not bounded by relativistic constraints, we demonstrate how accelerated modulation enables unprecedented control over electromagnetic waves. Analytical models are developed for arbitrarily accelerated interfaces, and exact solutions are derived for both the forward and inverse scattering problems. These results are used to demonstrate a new method for arbitrary pulse shaping based on nonuniform Doppler shifts, validated through customdeveloped generalized FDTD simulations. The thesis further introduces space-time wedges, multi-interface configurations with different modulation velocities and provides a full classification of their spectral behavior. The electrodynamics of ASTEMs is rigorously formulated by comparing accelerated modulation and accelerated-matter systems, revealing formal equivalence in their scattering dynamics and enabling laboratory analogs of gravitational phenomena such as light bending and spectral redshift. To support numerical modeling, we develop a generalized FDTD scheme capable of handling arbitrary space-time trajectories. This solver enables accurate simulation of scattering, frequency transitions and beam dynamics in ASTEM structures where conventional Yee grids fail. By positioning acceleration as a new physical and engineering degree of freedom, this thesis establishes ASTEMs as a foundational advancement in dynamic wave physics. The framework developed here enables new possibilities in wave-based computing, programmable photonics, nonreciprocal devices and analog gravity platforms.