Josephson Plasmon Resonance in Tl2Ba2CaCu2O8 High-Temperature Superconductor Tunable Terahertz Metamaterials

The Josephson plasmon resonance (JPR) offers a valuable probe to investigate the superconductivity in layered cuprate superconductors. However, the coupling between free space radiation and JPR in high-temperature superconductor (HTS) film remains challenging because the excitation of JPR demands the c-axis oriented electric field. The subwavelength resonators in metamaterials can enhance the localized electric field, which can be utilized to resolve this difficulty. Here, a tunable terahertz (THz) metamaterial made from Tl₂Ba₂CaCu₂O₈ (Tl-2212) HTS film is developed. The spectral response of Tl-2212 metamaterial has a tunable property at temperatures up to 90 K. The resonant excitation of Josephson plasmon in the metamaterial is observed. Simulation results indicate that the scattering of subwavelength resonators can provide the component of the z-axis electric field for the resonant excitation. The coupling between JPR and resonance modes of metamaterials is observed and explained using coupled mode theory. The temperature dependence of JPR frequency shows accordance with the experimental results of the pure film. This work provides an avenue to excite the JPR and probe superconducting condensate in the layered superconductor. The development of Josephson plasmonic metamaterials may contribute to tunable and nonlinear THz devices.     

Modulating the Near Field Coupling through Resonator Displacement in Planar Terahertz Metamaterials

We present the effect of vertical displacements between the resonators inside the unit cell of planar coupled metamaterials on their near field coupling and hence on the terahertz (THz) wave modulation. The metamolecule design consists of two planar split- ring resonators (SRRs) in a unit cell which are coupled through their near fields. The numerically simulated transmission spectrum is found to have split resonances due to the resonance mode hybridization effect. With the increase in displacement between the near field coupled SRRs, this metamaterial system shows a transition from coupled to uncoupled state through merging of the split resonances to the single intrinsic resonance. We have used a semi-analytical model describing the effect of displacements between the resonators and determine that it can predict the numerically simulated results. The outcome could be useful in modulating the terahertz waves employing near field coupled metamaterials, hence, can be useful in the development of terahertz modulators and frequency tunable devices in future.     

A metamaterial terahertz modulator based on complementary planar double-split-ring resonator

A metamaterial based on complementary planar double-split-ring resonator (DSRR) structure is presented and demonstrated, which can optically tune the transmission of the terahertz (THz) wave. Unlike the traditional DSRR metamaterials, the DSRR discussed in this paper consists of two split rings connected by two bridges. Numerical simulations with the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method reveal that the transmission spectra of the original and the complementary metamaterials are both in good agreement with Babinet’s principle. Then by increasing the carrier density of the intrinsic GaAs substrate, the magnetic response of the complementary special DSRR metamaterial can be weakened or even turned off. This metamaterial structure is promised to be a narrow-band THz modulator with response time of several nanoseconds.     

太赫兹超材料生物检测应用研究进展

超材料作为一种具备超常物理性质的人工复合材料,能够突破常规材料的限制,为设计先进功能材料开辟一种全新的思路。太赫兹波由于具有光子能量低、对生物物质无电离损害和分子指纹谱等特性,通过与超材料结合,可实现对生物物质高灵敏检测,越来越受到国内外学者的广泛关注。本文总结了近几年来太赫兹超材料传感器在生物分子和细胞检测领域上取得的进展,首先介绍了太赫兹超材料传感器的传感原理和性能指标,其次从超材料结构设计、衬底选择、以及与微流控和新材料结合等方面阐述了太赫兹超材料传感器在生物检测领域的发展。通过对超材料结构进行优化、采用低介电常数薄型衬底、结合微流控技术或在传感器上粘附新材料涂层,可进一步提高超材料传感器的灵敏度,并丰富其在生物医学检测上的功能。最后,对太赫兹超材料传感器的发展趋势和前景进行了展望。     

Direct Measurements of Terahertz Meta-atoms with Near-Field Emission of Terahertz Waves

We present the direct measurements of terahertz meta-atoms, an elementary unit of metamaterials, by using locally generated terahertz waves in the near-field region. In contrast to a conventional far-field terahertz spectroscopy or imaging, our technique features the localized emission of coherent terahertz pulses on a sub-wavelength scale, which has a potential for visualizing details of dynamics of each meta-atom. The obtained data show the near-field coupling among the meta-atoms and the impact of the electric field distribution from the excited meta-atom to neighbor meta-atoms. The observable LC resonance response is enhanced with an increase of numbers of meta-atoms. Furthermore, our approach also has a potential for visualizing the individual mode of meta-atom at different terahertz irradiation spots. These data can help us to understand the important role of the meta-atom in metamaterials and develop the novel terahertz components and devices such as active terahertz metamaterial and compact, high-sensitive bio-sensor devices.     

Volatile Ultrafast Switching at Multilevel Nonvolatile States of Phase Change Material for Active Flexible Terahertz Metadevices

Phase change materials provide unique reconfigurable properties for photonic applications that mainly arise from their exotic characteristic to reversibly switch between the amorphous and crystalline nonvolatile phases. Optical pulse based reversible switching of nonvolatile phases is exploited in various nanophotonic devices. However, large area reversible switching is extremely challenging and has hindered its translation into a technologically significant terahertz spectral domain. Here, this limitation is circumvented by exploiting the semiconducting nature of germanium antimony telluride (GST) to achieve dynamic terahertz control at picosecond timescales. It is also shown that the ultrafast response can be actively altered by changing the crystallographic phase of GST.  The ease of fabrication of phase change materials allows for the realization of a variable ultrafast terahertz modulator on a flexible platform. The rich properties of phase change materials combined with the diverse functionalities of metamaterials and all-optical ultrafast control enables an ideal platform for design of efficient terahertz communication devices, terahertz neuromorphic photonics, and smart sensor systems.     

Towards Dynamic, Tunable, and Nonlinear Metamaterials via Near Field Interactions: A Review

Metamaterials research continues to bear fruit in the form of novel devices and optics across the electromagnetic spectrum. This is especially true in the gigahertz, terahertz, and near infrared frequencies. Metamaterials also continue to be one of the fastest growing subdisciplines of anisotropy research, with most notable metamaterial advances based on inherently anisotropic designs. Despite significant progress, many challenges remain before fully dynamic, broad bandwidth, and nonlinear metamaterial devices become truly viable. We review the study of near field interactions, or coupling, in metamaterials with a focus on how manipulation of interactions in metamaterials has helped overcome some of the largest obstacles toward tunable metamaterials, broad bandwidth metamaterials, nonlinear metamaterials, and metamaterial experimental techniques.     

可调谐超材料太赫兹多频带阻滤波器理论研究

超材料的发展为太赫兹技术提供了良好的载体,使太赫兹器件得到飞速发展。滤波器作为其中重要的功能器件,实现了太赫兹波段的单频和多频滤波。文章提出了一种新型超材料太赫兹滤波器结构,该结构可同时应用于LC谐振和偶极谐振,实现了太赫兹滤波。重点对几何参数对器件滤波性能的影响规律进行了研究,通过优化滤波器关键结构参数,实现了良好的双频带和三频带太赫兹滤波。     

光驱动宽频带可调谐太赫兹吸波器设计

设计了一种基于光敏材料硅(Si)的宽频带极化不敏感的光驱动可调谐太赫兹超材料吸波器(metamaterial ab-sorber,简称MMA).该可调谐太赫兹MMA基本单元结构由嵌入光敏硅的紧凑开缝环谐振器结构、中间介质隔离层与金属底板构成.硅的电导率随着入射光的强度而发生改变,从而使太赫兹MMA工作频率和吸波性能得到有效的调节.数值计算结果表明:当硅电导率在1. 0×10~3S/m到5. 0×10~5S/m范围内动态调节时,该MMA吸波特性在0. 442 THz到0. 852 THz范围内动态调节.另外,其相对调节带宽达到63. 37%,吸收率调制深度达到60. 22%.进一步的数值计算结果表明我们所设计的MMA具备极化不敏感和宽入射角的特性.     

太赫兹多波段的电磁诱导透明设计与分析

设计了一种超材料三维模型,由闭合方环和4个开口谐振方环通过正、反向双开口方环与闭合方环相互耦合来组成,在太赫兹范围内具有多波段电磁诱导透明(EIT)效应。该结构分别实现了在1.21、1.46、1.61、1.98 THz这四波段的电磁诱导透明现象,并且谐振强度均达到0.9左右。通过将结构单元进行拆分并相互对比分析,研究了该超材料结构产生多波段EIT效应的物理机理,并重点分析了开口大小、闭合方环尺寸对EIT强度与带宽的影响。通过对三维立体结构仿真分析可知,所设计的超材料不仅在多个波段获得了较高的折射率灵敏度,还具有高强度、多频点的慢光效应。因此,其在折射率传感与光缓存器件等领域,具有良好的应用前景。     

基于太赫兹超材料的微流体折射率传感器

设计加工了一种太赫兹超材料微流体传感器件,利用时域有限差分法（Finite Difference Time Domain,FDTD）对其在太赫兹波段的传输、谐振及传感特性进行数值模拟。采用太赫兹时域光谱系统实验研究了偏振方向对传感器灵敏度的影响。实验结果表明,当超材料谐振环开口方向与入射太赫兹波的偏振方向平行和垂直时,折射率传感灵敏度可分别达到39.29 GHz/RIU和74.43 GHz/RIU。通过等效电路模型对该超材料器件的传输和谐振特性做了分析,并进一步明确了其传感机制。该超材料器件可对微量液体（5 l/mm2）实现芯片式的折射率传感,具有较高的传感灵敏度,在化学生物传感器的设计和制造领域具有潜在的应用前景。     

偏振不敏感的九聚物太赫兹超材料

在实验上提出将九个开口谐振环以第一个谐振环的开口方向为基准按照涡旋状的轨迹排布,且依次将开口环逆时针扭转40,构成九聚物太赫兹超材料,并在理论上系统研究了该超材料的传输特性。将原本只具有单一谐振模式的开口谐振环按照类似于低聚物的结构排布方式构成周期单元结构时,利用结构末端引起的能量耦合来增强相邻谐振器间的能量耦合,便会有更多的谐振模式产生,最终实现偏振不敏感的效果。这种思路丰富了传统超材料离散结构的设计理念,为太赫兹超材料功能器件,如开关,调制器和滤波器等的设计提供了一种新的参考方案。     

宽频太赫兹异向介质吸收器研究

利用异向介质吸收器的传输线模型及CST仿真软件对其太赫兹波段的宽频吸收特性进行了研究。结果表明：异向介质吸收器对太赫兹电磁波的吸收主要来源于开口环共振单元(SRR)的LC共振。提出了两种使异向介质吸收器获得宽频太赫兹吸收的方法：一是增加LC共振中的等效电阻R,能有效扩展吸收带宽到100GHz以上;二是通过优化具有双吸收...     

应用于THz波的非对称双开口环传输特性研究

设计并制备了一种适用于太赫兹波段的非对称双开口环结构,数值仿真和实验测量了其传输性质.结果表明,垂直极化时样品在低频的0.540 THz和0.925 THz处存在谐振点,来源于左右两开口环的LC谐振,电流和电场分布主要集中在两开口环的开口处;而在高频处(1.885THz)谐振点的表面电流具有相反的两个环流方向,电流和电场分布于整个样品表面,此处的谐振来源于两开口环耦合后的偶极子谐振.当太赫兹波平行极化该样品时,原来两个低频的LC谐振消失.实验测量结果与数值仿真具有很好的一致性.此结构超材料的传输特性研究对太赫兹波调制器、滤波器、吸收器及偏振器等器件设计和制备具有一定的指导意义.     

Ultrafast Photo-Thermal Switching of Terahertz Spin Currents

Dissipationless and scattering-free spin-based terahertz electronics is the futuristic technology for energy-efficient information processing. Femtosecond light pulse provides an ideal pathway for exciting the ferromagnet (FM) out-of-equilibrium, causing ultrafast demagnetization and superdiffusive spin transport at sub-picosecond timescale, giving rise to transient terahertz radiation. Concomitantly, light pulses also deposit thermal energy at short timescales, suggesting the possibility of abrupt change in magnetic anisotropy of the FM that could cause ultrafast photo-thermal switching (PTS) of terahertz spin currents. Here, a single light pulse induced PTS of the terahertz spin current manifested through the phase reversal of the emitted terahertz photons is demonstrated. The switching of the transient spin current is due to the reversal of the magnetization state across the energy barrier of the FM layer. This demonstration opens a new paradigm for on-chip spintronic devices enabling ultralow-power hybrid electronics and photonics fueled by the interplay of charge, spin, thermal, and optical signals.     

利用介质超材料控制太赫兹波的振幅和相位

设计了基于介质高阻硅的超材料用于对太赫兹波的透射振幅和相位进行控制。这里组成超材料的基本结构单元为亚波长柱状硅,相比于基于金属的超材料,其损耗小,效率也更高。太赫兹入射到不同尺寸和旋向的柱状硅时,所透射的太赫兹波的振幅和相位也不同。通过设计不同空间位置处的柱状硅尺寸和旋向,就可以实现任意的振幅和相位分布,从而对透射波波前进行完全的控制。实验中,利用这种硅质微结构设计了三种不同的奇异光栅,其衍射级次和数目可任意控制。这种基于介质超材料的方法,设计简单,加工方便,在制作太赫兹波段低损耗的功能器件方面有着广泛的应用前景。     

太赫兹波超材料吸波体的特性分析

超材料吸波体通常是由一些在介质基底表面上周期分布的亚波长开口环谐振器（SRRs）组成,它们的吸收率在很大程度上取决于顶层SRRs的结构细节及介质的材料性质。利用时域有限积分法（FITD）对太赫兹波的超材料吸波体进行传输特性研究,分析了PI介质厚度、单元尺寸、开口环谐振器宽度、顶层silicon的电导率和PI介质的介电常数对太赫兹波超材料吸波体吸收峰位置和吸收率大小的影响。此超材料吸波体的特性研究对太赫兹波调制器、滤波器、吸收器及偏振器等器件设计和制备具有一定的指导意义。     

Fiber-Drawn Metamaterial for THz Waveguiding and Imaging

In this paper, we review the work of our group in fabricating metamaterials for terahertz (THz) applications by fiber drawing. We discuss the fabrication technique and the structures that can be obtained before focusing on two particular applications of terahertz metamaterials, i.e., waveguiding and sub-diffraction imaging. We show the experimental demonstration of THz radiation guidance through hollow core waveguides with metamaterial cladding, where substantial improvements were realized compared to conventional hollow core waveguides, such as reduction of size, greater flexibility, increased single-mode operating regime, and guiding due to magnetic and electric resonances. We also report recent and new experimental work on near- and far-field THz imaging using wire array metamaterials that are capable of resolving features as small as λ/28.     

基于连续谱束缚态的高Q太赫兹全介质超表面

为了研究基于连续谱束缚态(BIC)高品质因子Q谐振, 提出了由双空心硅圆柱体组成太赫兹全介质超表面。采用数值模拟方法对结构的透射光谱及电磁场图进行了分析, 并利用本征模分析的方法研究了超表面结构参数对BIC频率的影响, 给出了该BIC超表面在太赫兹大频率范围工作的参数设计方法。结果表明, 在3.0THz左右实现了一个可调高Q环偶极Fano谐振; 本征模式的分析计算结果与入射电磁波模式的分析计算结果对称性不匹配, 该超表面支持的是一个对称保护BIC。此研究为基于BIC的高Q超材料在超低阈值激光器件、非线性光学谐波产生及高灵敏度传感等领域的应用提供了理论参考。     

A Dual-Mode Terahertz Filter Based on a Metallic Resonator Design

We present a metallic resonator fabricated on silicon capable of dual-mode operation at terahertz frequencies. The resonator exhibits a notch plus stop band filter response or a notch filter response depending on the orientation of the incident electric field with respect to the structure. The former results in two resonance features: one at 0.69 THz with a Q-factor of 3.7 and the other at 0.91 THz. The latter results in a resonance feature at 0.63 THz with a Q-factor of 5.7. Using 3D finite-difference time-domain simulations, the resonator is designed to operate between 0.1 and 1.4 THz. Experimental verification is performed using a free space terahertz time-domain spectroscopy system, and agreement with our simulations is realized.