Scattering from knots and unknots: the role of symmetry

The authors examine the roles of rotational symmetry and knottedness in electromagnetic wave backscattering from wire structures. Initial investigations focused on the detection of knottedness through polarisation effects in the backscattered fields. Further calculations shown here have demonstrated the role of symmetry in the remarkable difference in backscattering from symmetric trefoils and their asymmetric untrefoil counterparts