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Title: Hybrid metasurface for ultra-broadband terahertz modulation

Abstract

We demonstrate an ultra-broadband free-space terahertz modulator based on a semiconductor-integrated metasurface. The modulator is made of a planar array of metal cut-wires on a silicon-on-sapphire substrate, where the silicon layer functions as photoconductive switches. Without external excitation, the cut-wire array exhibits a Lorentzian resonant response with a transmission passband spanning dc up to the fundamental dipole resonance above 2 THz. Under photoexcitation with 1.55 eV near-infrared light, the silicon regions in the cut-wire gaps become highly conductive, causing a transition of the resonant metasurface to a wire grating with a Drude response. In effect, the low-frequency passband below 2 THz evolves into a stopband for the incident terahertz waves. Experimental validations confirm a bandwidth of at least 100%, spanning 0.5 to 1.5 THz with -10 dB modulation depth. This modulation depth is far superior to -5 dB achievable from a plain silicon-on-sapphire substrate with effectively 25 times higher pumping energy. The proposed concept of ultra-broadband metasurface modulator can be readily extended to electrically controlled terahertz wave modulation.

Authors:
 [1]; ORCiD logo [2];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1]
  1. Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
  2. Univ. of Adelaide (Australia)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
1236572
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1224275
Report Number(s):
LA-UR-14-27721
Journal ID: ISSN 0003-6951; APPLAB
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC52-06NA25396
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Applied Physics Letters
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 105; Journal Issue: 18; Journal ID: ISSN 0003-6951
Publisher:
American Institute of Physics (AIP)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE

Citation Formats

Heyes, Jane E., Withayachumnankul, Withawat, Grady, Nathaniel K., Chowdhury, Dibakar Roy, Azad, Abul K., and Chen, Hou-Tong. Hybrid metasurface for ultra-broadband terahertz modulation. United States: N. p., 2014. Web. doi:10.1063/1.4901050.
Heyes, Jane E., Withayachumnankul, Withawat, Grady, Nathaniel K., Chowdhury, Dibakar Roy, Azad, Abul K., & Chen, Hou-Tong. Hybrid metasurface for ultra-broadband terahertz modulation. United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4901050
Heyes, Jane E., Withayachumnankul, Withawat, Grady, Nathaniel K., Chowdhury, Dibakar Roy, Azad, Abul K., and Chen, Hou-Tong. Wed . "Hybrid metasurface for ultra-broadband terahertz modulation". United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4901050. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1236572.
@article{osti_1236572,
title = {Hybrid metasurface for ultra-broadband terahertz modulation},
author = {Heyes, Jane E. and Withayachumnankul, Withawat and Grady, Nathaniel K. and Chowdhury, Dibakar Roy and Azad, Abul K. and Chen, Hou-Tong},
abstractNote = {We demonstrate an ultra-broadband free-space terahertz modulator based on a semiconductor-integrated metasurface. The modulator is made of a planar array of metal cut-wires on a silicon-on-sapphire substrate, where the silicon layer functions as photoconductive switches. Without external excitation, the cut-wire array exhibits a Lorentzian resonant response with a transmission passband spanning dc up to the fundamental dipole resonance above 2 THz. Under photoexcitation with 1.55 eV near-infrared light, the silicon regions in the cut-wire gaps become highly conductive, causing a transition of the resonant metasurface to a wire grating with a Drude response. In effect, the low-frequency passband below 2 THz evolves into a stopband for the incident terahertz waves. Experimental validations confirm a bandwidth of at least 100%, spanning 0.5 to 1.5 THz with -10 dB modulation depth. This modulation depth is far superior to -5 dB achievable from a plain silicon-on-sapphire substrate with effectively 25 times higher pumping energy. The proposed concept of ultra-broadband metasurface modulator can be readily extended to electrically controlled terahertz wave modulation.},
doi = {10.1063/1.4901050},
journal = {Applied Physics Letters},
number = 18,
volume = 105,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Nov 05 00:00:00 EST 2014},
month = {Wed Nov 05 00:00:00 EST 2014}
}

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