Abstract
The ability to electrically control the optical properties of metamaterials is an essential capability required for technological innovation. The creation of dynamic electrically tunable metamaterials in the visible and near infrared regions is important for a range of imaging and fiber optic technologies. However, current approaches require complex nanofabrication processes which are incompatible for low‐cost device production. Herein, a novel simple approach is reported for electrical control of optical properties which uses a flexoelectric dielectric element to electromechanically manipulate the form factor of a chiral nanostructure. By altering the dimensions of the chiral nanostructure, the polarization properties of light are allowed to be electrically controlled. The flexoelectric element is part of a composite metafilm that is templated onto a nanostructured polymer substrate. As the flexoelectric element does not require in situ high temperature annealing, it can be readily combined with polymer‐based substrates produced by high throughput methods. This is not the case for piezoelectric elements, routinely used in microelectromechanical (MEM) devices which require high temperature processing. Consequently, combining amorphous flexoelectric dielectrics and low‐cost polymer‐based materials provides a route to the high throughput production of electrically responsive disposable metadevices.
Highlights
IntroductionThe creation of dynamic electrically tunable metamaterials in the visible and near infrared regions is important for a range of imaging and fiber optic technologies
The earliest metamaterials were passive reported for electrical control of optical properties which uses a flexoelectric elements with optical properties that were dielectric element to electromechanically manipulate the form factor of a chiral nanostructure
Two types of optical spectra were collected from the devices: reflectance and optical rotatory dispersion (ORD)
Summary
The creation of dynamic electrically tunable metamaterials in the visible and near infrared regions is important for a range of imaging and fiber optic technologies. Current approaches require complex nanofabrication processes which are incompatible for low-cost device production. Active control in the visible and near infrabased substrates produced by high throughput methods. This is not the case for piezoelectric elements, routinely used in microelectromechanical (MEM) devices which require high temperature processing. Combining amorphous flexoelectric dielectrics and low-cost polymer-based materials provides a red (NIR) regions is a requirement for developing novel imaging and optical processing technologies. Dynamic tuning in this region is achieved either by altering the dielectric environment or route to the high throughput production of electrically responsive disposable metadevices. Dynamic manipulation of properties using, for example, heat, magnetism, or light is less desirable than electrical control for device implementation
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