Tunable Terahertz Research Articles

Temperature tunable broadband filter based on hybridized vanadium dioxide (VO2) metasurface

Abstract In this paper, a novel temperature tunable terahertz (THz) broadband filter based on hybridized vanadium dioxide (VO2) metasurface (MS) was proposed. The designed MS is composed of subwavelength metallic square-grid structure situated between two layers of metallic square-patch structure integrated with VO2 film pad spaced with two layers of dielectric substrate. Utilizing the insulator-metal phase transition characterizations of VO2 in the THz regime, the operation mode of the proposed MS filter accomplishes the broadband transmission-to-reflection transition. Simulation results show that when VO2 is in the insulating state with a lower external temperature, the proposed MS behaves like a broadband filter with transparent window and a transmittance of above 80% over the frequency range of 0.66–1.12 THz. However, when VO2 undergoes the metallic state with a higher external temperature, the MS becomes a broadband filter with low-transmission shielding and exhibiting a transmittance of below 10% across the frequency spectrum from 0.56 THz to 1.4 THz. The physical mechanism of the proposed MS based tunable broadband filter is illustrated by introducing impedance matching theory, equivalent circuit model and field analysis. In addition, the proposed MS structure offers exceptional angular stability and polarization insensitivity, opening up new opportunities for the utilization of energy selective surface in THz applications.

Dynamic tunable triple-band terahertz perfect absorber based on graphene metamaterial

This work developed a graphene-based perfect absorber with dynamic tuning capabilities. This absorber consists of a metal substrate, a layer of graphene square rings, a layer of graphene disks, and two layers of SiO2 dielectric sandwiched between them. Simulation results demonstrate absorption peaks at 1.23 THz, 4.2 THz, and 6.38 THz, with respective absorption rates of 99.9 %, 99.8 %, and 98.3 %. By analyzing the distributions of the electric field and surface current at the central frequencies of the three absorption peaks, the excitation mechanism of each absorption peak was discussed. It was found that by adjusting graphene's chemical potential, the absorption spectrum can be actively controlled. Furthermore, the absorber is insensitive to polarization and can sustain the stability of the absorption spectrum within an incident angle range of 0∼35°. This work has the potential to advance the research of multi-band terahertz absorbers, dynamically tunable devices, and other graphene-based photonic devices.

Design of tunable terahertz metamaterial for variable optical attenuation and sensing applications

In this work, an actively tunable terahertz metamaterial (TTM) is proposed to realize variable optical attenuation and sensing applications. The unit cell of TTM is composed of H-shaped resonator (HSR) and C-shaped resonator (CSR). The resonant frequency can be tuned from 0.60 THz to 0.82 THz and show an analog electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) phenomenon. By adjusting the geometry parameters of HSR and CSR, the enhanced quality (Q) factor is obtained from 2 to 14. Moreover, the CSR can be rotated from 0° to 90° to show the potential in the variable optical attenuator (VOA) application. The resonant intensity at 0.60 THz can be gradually decreased and then disappeared eventually when the CSR rotated from 0° to 90° in TE mode. While the resonant intensity at 0.60 THz can be gradually increased and then reach maximum value from 0° to 90° in TM mode. To demonstrate the proposed TTM can be used for the environmental sensing application, the TTM is exposed on the ambient environment with different refractive indexes from 1.0 to 2.2. The maximum sensitivity is 67 GHz. This work offers a novel approach for the THz metamaterial using for the VOA, optical switching, and sensing applications.

Theoretical study of a triple-band tunable terahertz metamaterial absorber with polarization insensitive and high refractive index sensing based on bulk Dirac semimetal

In this paper, a triple-band metamaterial absorber in the terahertz frequencies is proposed, and its refractive index sensing characteristics are analyzed, where the bulk Dirac semimetal (BDS) periodic array is on top of a photonic crystal slab backed with a metal ground plane. The simulation results show that the absorber achieves three perfect absorption peaks in the range of 3.4–5.2 THz, whose absorption rates are over 96%, and a maximum quality factor (Q) of 74.1. The designed absorber exhibits excellent polarization insensitivity and dynamic tunability; further, the tuning of the Fermi energy level of BDS enables the dynamic adjustment of absorption frequencies and absorption rates of these peaks. By analyzing the distributions of the electromagnetic field and different structural parameters, it is revealed that the absorber mainly dissipates the electromagnetic wave through coupled resonance and localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) effects to achieve perfect absorption. Further, the metamaterial absorber shows the capacity to detect analytes with varying refractive indices, and the absorber has a maximum sensitivity S of 405 GHz/RIU with high detection accuracy. This work provides novel design options for triple-band terahertz metamaterial absorbers and their potential applications in refractive index sensing.

Terahertz tunable quasi-bound state in the continuum metasurface with high sensitivity based on Dirac semimetal

We have proposed a novel tunable terahertz (THz) quasi-bound states in the continuum (BIC) metasurface based on Dirac semimetal (DS). By modifying the structural parameters of the DS resonator and disrupting the C4 symmetry to induce perturbations, we achieve the conversion of BIC to quasi-BIC with a high Q-factor, reaching up to 1291.3. Moreover, we conducted a systematic analysis of the electric field distribution and surface current density for both symmetric and asymmetric configurations to elucidate the formation mechanism of the quasi-BIC. Furthermore, by varying the Fermi energy of the DS within the range of 0.1–0.2eV, we achieved continuously tunable operation with the operating frequency ranging from 1.179 to 1.248 THz and the transmission from 21.18% to 96.87%. Most notably, we investigated the sensing performance of the device, finding that its refractive index sensitivity and figure of merit (FOM) are 0.301 THz/RIU and 143.3 RIU−1, respectively, highlighting its potential for high-sensitivity applications, particularly in material detection and biomedical diagnostics.

Dual-mode multifunctional switchable polarization conversion metasurface based on VO2, Si, and graphene in THz region

In this paper, a dual-mode multifunctional switching terahertz metasurface polarization converter based on vanadium dioxide (VO2), photosensitive semiconductor silicon (Si) and graphene is designed. The converter can switch between transmission and reflection modes by adjusting the state of VO2. In the insulating state of VO2, the converter operates in transmission mode and performs linear-to-linear polarization conversion (LTL-PC) with a relative bandwidth of 166.0 %. Conversely, when VO2 is in the metallic state, the converter works in reflection mode. By adjusting the pump light intensity to modulate the state of Si, linear-to-circular polarization conversion (LTC-PC) and LTL-PC function can be achieved. Moreover, the Fermi level of graphene can be adjusted via electrostatic gate to further enhance the working bandwidth of the converter. In reflection mode, the relative bandwidths for LTL-PC, linear to left-circularly and right-circularly polarization conversion are 98.1 %, 87.0 % and 4.0 %, respectively. The metasurface polarization converter proposed in this paper has a variety of functions and a variety of control modes, and has the advantages of high polarization conversion rate and wide operating band, showing great potential in switching and tunable wideband terahertz converters and related applications.

A three-band narrow-band terahertz perfect absorber for patch antennas and other sensors

We have studied a multi-mode resonance and actively tunable high-sensitivity terahertz perfect absorber using a microstructured Dirac semimetal. The absorber is composed of gold-dielectric-Dirac semimetal three-layer structure, which has good optical sensing characteristics. The absorber produces three perfect absorption modes (>95%) in the range of 2–6 THz, with a minimum bandwidth (FWHM) of 0.18 THz. We studied the adaptability of the device response mode to the actual complex electromagnetic environment by simulating the deflection incident angle. In addition, we also analyzed the influence of various parameter variables on the absorption performance, which provides a clearer idea and more possibilities for the wider application of the device. In terms of sensing detection, the absorber has a maximum refractive index sensitivity S of 610 GHz/RIU and a maximum figure of merit FOM of 3.4 in the ambient refractive index range of 1 to 1.8. Finally, we also realized the tunable absorption frequency of the absorber in 60–80 meV. We believe that based on the good optical properties of the absorber, the device has potential application value in communication technology, space exploration and so on.

Graphene metamaterial (GMM) based dual mode, tunable, and broadband THz absorber with triple circular split ring structure

In this study we investigated a novel approach to designing a graphene metamaterial (GMM) based terahertz (THz) absorber with dual-mode functionality, tunability, and broadband absorption capabilities. The study leverages the unique properties of graphene, a material known for its exceptional electronic and optical characteristics, combined with metamaterials to achieve efficient THz absorption. Here we performed extensive simulation on four different types of configurations and found the optimized structure has the highest bandwidth of 3.8 THz and absorption over 90 %. The absorber is designed to operate in two distinct modes, enhancing its versatility for different applications in the THz spectrum. Moreover, the tunability of the absorber is a significant feature, allowing for dynamic adjustment of the absorption frequency, which is crucial for applications in THz imaging, sensing, and communication systems. The broadband nature of the absorber ensures effective performance over a wide range of frequencies, addressing the need for flexible and high-performance devices in emerging THz technologies. This work represents a significant advancement in the field of THz metamaterials, with potential implications for the development of next-generation THz devices.

Tunable terahertz meta-resonator with switchable single- and dual-resonance characteristic

A tunable terahertz meta-resonator (TTM) is proposed to be capable of switching single- and dual-resonance characteristics in this article. The presented TTM device consists of two symmetrical E-shaped electric split-ring resonators (eSRRs) on the silicon (Si) substrate. Through the change of the gap between two eSRRs, it allows the resonances to be tuned about 78 GHz, spanning from 0.780 THz to 0.702 THz in transverse magnetic (TM) mode. When one eSRR is anchored on the Si substrate and the other suspended eSRR is heightened along the z-axis direction, the TTM device exhibits resonance-insensitive behavior in transverse electric (TE) mode, along with a convertible feature that enables it to transition between single-resonance and dual-resonance responses in TM mode. Besides, the practicality of TTM device is further enhanced by its capability to operate effectively in ambient surroundings with varying refractive indexes. In TE and TM modes, the high linearity relationship between resonances and refractive indexes is achieved with correlation coefficients both exceeding 0.99. The TTM device provides potential possibilities in tunable filters, switchable logic gates, environmental sensors, and other dynamically controllable THz-wave optoelectronics devices.

Terahertz field generation in a self-sustained magnetic laser-plasma channel

We theoretically investigate the terahertz field excitation from a laser-driven self-sustained magnetized plasma channel. The expulsion of plasma electrons by the laser ponderomotive force modifies the plasma density, which self-focuses the laser pulse. For the optimized laser parameters, the laser propagates without diverging in plasma and a plasma channel is created. The magnetic field applied along the laser propagation enhances the channel formation efficiency. We utilize this magnetic plasma channel to excite the transverse radiation field by the self-focused laser via wakefield excitation. The magnetic plasma channel maintains the laser intensity over a larger propagation distance, exciting wakefields efficiently. The second order perturbation technique is applied to calculate the wakefield components excited by the laser pulse in a self-sustained magnetic plasma channel. The density perturbation associated with the low-frequency ponderomotive force derives the transverse nonlinear current at terahertz frequency. Our results show that the magnetic field plasma channel can significantly enhance the terahertz conversion efficiency. The tunable terahertz radiation fields of 20 THz frequency with about 10 GV/m may be obtained using one Tesla magnetic field. The efficiency of the process may be optimized and controlled by the laser and plasma parameters. These high-field THz may be useful in various applications such as ultra-fast technology.

Design and Evaluation of Tunable Terahertz Metasurface Biosensor for Malaria Detection with Machine learning Optimization Using Artificial Intelligence

Design and Evaluation of Tunable Terahertz Metasurface Biosensor for Malaria Detection with Machine learning Optimization Using Artificial Intelligence

Tunable multifunctional terahertz metamaterial device based on metal-dielectric-vanadium dioxide

The Electromagnetically Induced Transparency (EIT) effect in terahertz (THz) metamaterial devices has garnered extensive attention owing to its distinctive advantages in the slow light devices and quantum communication. However, the application of EIT has been constrained by the limitation to a single transparent window and the fixed intensity of the electromagnetic response at the transmission peak after fabrication. To achieve a dual-frequency EIT effect and enable active tunability, this paper presents a tunable multifunction THz metamaterial device based on vanadium dioxide (VO2). The transition of VO2 from the insulator to the metal allows for the active control of EIT and multi-band absorption switching in the THz range. When VO2 is in its dielectric state, two EIT-like windows could be observed with a maximum value of 86.9 % and 71.7 % of the transmission amplitude, respectively. By adjusting the temperature of the VO2, a modulation depth of up to 99 % can be achieved, enabling active control of the EIT-like effect. In addition, active adjustment of group delay of up to 5.47 ps was demonstrated. When VO2 is in the metallic state, the device serves as a tunable multiband absorber, capable of achieving perfect absorption and modulation amplitude of up to 92 %. The results indicated that the presented devices hold significant value for research in the THz range, particularly for applications related to switching and slow light devices. Therefore, the tunable multifunctional THz metamaterial device is of great significance for THz technology.

[formula omitted] assisted temperature tunable wideband terahertz absorber as a biosensor

In this article, vanadium dioxide (V O2) based tunable wideband terahertz absorber is proposed. It consist of a gold plated ground plane and V O2 based concentric ring resonating geometry on the backside and top surfaces of dielectric material Silicon dioxide (SiO2). Its unit cell has dimension of 30 × 30×9.235μm3. It achieves polarization insensitive absorption A≥90% from 2.279 to 5.699 THz with average absorption >92% and Full Width at Half Maxima (FWHM) of 4.6131 THz. It shows incident angle stability up to θ=20° for A≥90% and up to θ=45° for A≥80%. The proposed absorber’s peak absorption can be tuned from 3% to 94% by changing V O2 conductivity dependent on temperature. As a sensor, it has high sensitivity of 697.7 GHz/RIU for RI sensing, 586.096 GHz/RIU for adrenal gland cell cancer detection and around 650.0 GHz/RIU for urine concentration detection.

Tunable terahertz filter based on graphene photonic crystals with defective layers

In this paper, we design a high-precision tunable terahertz filter by using transfer matrix method. The filter structure mainly consists of graphene embedded photonic crystals (GPCs). The front part of the GPCs contains artificial synthetic material and air layer, the back part of the GPCs is composed by and periodic stack of isotropic dielectric slabs (MgF2) embedded with graphene sheets, where air defect layer is located in the middle of the GPC as a central layer. Our simulation reveals that graphene layer and air defective layer strongly affect the filter performance. And we can get a relatively pure transmission peak in a wide frequency region. Additionally, the influence of incidence angle of terahertz wave, thickness of air layer, the unit number of front periodic structure and chemical potential of the graphene sheets can also modulate the function of the filter. And the filter has strong stability when the temperature changes from 150 K to 350 K.The results indicate that single channel, dual and multiple channels filter in a narrow frequency can be obtained by optimizing the structure parameter.

Switchable Vanadium Dioxide Metasurface for Terahertz Ultra-Broadband Absorption and Reflective Polarization Conversion.

Based on the unique insulator-metal phase transition property of vanadium dioxide (VO2), we propose an integrated metasurface with a switchable mechanism between ultra-broadband absorption and polarization conversion, operating in the terahertz (THz) frequency range. The designed metasurface device is constructed using a stacked structure composed of VO2 quadruple rings, a dielectric layer, copper stripes, VO2 film, a dielectric layer, and a copper reflection layer. Our numerical simulations demonstrate that our proposed design, at high temperatures (above 358 K), exhibits an ultra-broadband absorption ranging from 4.95 to 18.39 THz, maintaining an absorptivity greater than 90%, and achieves a relative absorption bandwidth of up to 115%, significantly exceeding previous research records. At room temperature (298 K), leveraging VO2's insulating state, our proposed structure transitions into an effective polarization converter, without any alteration to its geometry. It enables efficient conversion between orthogonal linear polarizations across 3.51 to 10.26 THz, with cross-polarized reflection exceeding 90% and a polarization conversion ratio over 97%. More importantly, its relative bandwidth reaches up to 98%. These features highlight its wide-angle, extensive bandwidth, and high-efficiency advantages for both switching functionalities. Such an ultra-broadband convertible design offers potential applications in optical switching, temperature dependent optical sensors, and other tunable THz devices in various fields.

Tunable wideband terahertz absorber based on single-layer patterned graphene

In this study, we propose and validate a broadband terahertz perfect absorber. The absorber has a simple structure, which consists of a gold (Au) substrate, a TOPAS dielectric layer and a patterned graphene layer. By the simulations, a broad absorption band can be obtained with a high absorption above 90% between 3.31 THz and 7.15 THz, and the relative bandwidth reaches 73.4%. Meanwhile, the absorption higher than 99% is between 3.81 THz and 6.6 THz with a relative bandwidth of 53.6%. The mechanism of the surface excited plasma (SPP) and electromagnetic dipole resonance are responsible for its almost perfect broadband absorption. By changing the Fermi energy level of the graphene layer, the flexible broadband absorption spectra can be acquired. By varying the geometrical parameters of the structure, a wider spectral range of absorption wavelengths can be realized. For both TE and TM polarization, the absorption can remain above 90% over a wide range of incidence angles. Due to the independent tunability and high absorption of the proposed device, it has great potential applications in terahertz imaging, smart absorption, detectors and communications.

Broadband terahertz frequency-domain emission spectroscopy of DAST with a widely tunable quasi-monochromatic source and sensitive up-conversion detection

A continuous 4–32 THz emission spectrum of organic crystal DAST is obtained through a widely tunable quasi-monochromatic terahertz source and sensitive up-conversion detection. The spectrum is characterized by a frequency resolution of ∼0.05 THz and a highest signal-to-noise ratio of ∼65 dB. Terahertz signals are detectable at room temperature even in the high absorption regions of DAST, thus most of the absorption peaks of DAST are clearly located. The results verify the findings of previous works well, including density functional theory calculations and other similar experiments. This paper provides a highly sensitive instrument for broadband terahertz spectroscopic characterization.

Absorption and Reflection of Switchable Multifunctional Metamaterial Absorber Based on Vanadium Dioxide

A dynamically tunable terahertz broadband absorber based on the metamaterial structure of vanadium dioxide (VO2) is proposed and analyzed. The absorber consists of two patterned VO2 layers and a metal bottom layer separated by two polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) dielectric layers. Simulation results show that the absorption exceeds 90% in the frequency range of 2.4–11 THz with a relative bandwidth of 128.4% under normal incidence. When VO2 is in the metal phase, the designed absorber functions as an ideal absorber. The absorption rate can be flexibly adjusted from 2% to 99% as vanadium dioxide transitions from the insulator phase to the metal phase. Therefore, the newly developed broad structure has the capability to seamlessly transition between functioning as an absorber or reflector through modifications in the conductivity of VO2 from the insulator phase to the metal phase. Moreover, further insight into the underlying physical processes can be gained by studying the insensitivity of the proposed absorber to the polarization of incident light and its ability to achieve high absorption across a wide range of incident angles. Impedance matching theory and electric field distribution of the absorber are investigated. The THz absorber has many potential applications in fields such as THz sensors, modulation, and switches.

Tunable Terahertz Filters Based on Gold-Coated Silicon Plates With Corrugations

Tunable Terahertz Filters Based on Gold-Coated Silicon Plates With Corrugations

Polarization-multiplexing graphene-based coding metasurface for flexible terahertz wavefront control

In terahertz wireless communication systems, flexible wavefront control devices based on various structure metasurfaces have attracted enormous attention for next-generation communication. In general, tunable terahertz metasurfaces integrated with active materials or MEMS technologies are used for dynamic wavefront control. However, most existing metasurfaces suffer from various limitations, including intrinsic properties of active materials, low reliability of MEMS technologies, and single polarization mode of incident waves, which hinders their development and application. To address these challenges, herein, we design two types of reflective graphene-based coding metasurfaces for active wavefront control. The metasurface coding meta-atom is composed of a graphene split-ring resonator, a dielectric layer, and a metal ground plane. By simply rotating the coding meta-atom, independent 2π phase coverage for circularly polarized (CP) or linearly polarized (LP) illumination can be achieved, enabling polarization multiplexing. Thus, a metasurface (MS-1) is constructed based on the vortex phase profile to generate different wavefronts. Moreover, these wavefronts can be actively switched between a vortex beam, a multi-beam, and a specular reflection beam by altering the polarization mode of the incident waves and the Fermi level of the graphene coding regions Additionally, another metasurface (MS-2) is developed according to the parabolic phase profile to create a tunable metalens that allows active control over focal intensity and depth by adjusting the Fermi level of graphene. Such wavefront-controlled metasurfaces have high capacity and integration, making them very promising for potential applications in terahertz communication and imaging systems.