  It is common understanding that multilayered dielectric metamaterials, in the
regime of deeply subwavelength layers, are accurately described by simple
effective-medium models based on mixing formulas that do not depend on the
spatial arrangement. In the wake of recent studies that have shown
counterintuitive examples of periodic and aperiodic (orderly or random)
scenarios in which this premise breaks down, we study here the effects of
deterministic disorder. With specific reference to a model based on
Golay-Rudin-Shapiro sequences, we illustrate certain peculiar boundary effects
that can occur in finite-size dielectric multilayers, leading to anomalous
light-transport properties that are in stark contrast with the predictions from
conventional effective-medium theory. Via parametric and comparative studies,
we elucidate the underlying physical mechanisms, also highlighting similarities
and differences with respect to previously studied geometries. Our outcomes may
inspire potential applications to optical sensing, switching and lasing.
