Actively programmable MEMS-based racetrack-shaped terahertz metamaterial

• Published in: Journal of applied physics Vol. 131; no. 11
• Main Authors: Fu, Yuping, Xu, Xiaocan, Lin, Yu-Sheng
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Melville American Institute of Physics 21.03.2022
• Subjects: Applied physics; Asymmetry; Magnetic resonance; Metamaterials; Microelectromechanical systems; Optical switching; Polarization; Programmable logic devices; Resonance; Transverse electric modes; Transverse magnetic modes; Wireless communications
• ISSN: 0021-8979; 1089-7550
• DOI: 10.1063/5.0069625

We present four designs of actively tunable micro-electro-mechanical system-based racetrack-shaped metamaterials (RSMs), which are denoted as RSM_1, RSM_2, RSM_3, and RSM_4, respectively. RSM_1 is composed of asymmetrically single RSM, while RSM_2, RSM_3, and RSM_4 are all composed of asymmetrically double RSM layers with different rotation angles of 0°, 90°, and 180°, respectively. RSM_1 exhibits single-resonance in the transverse electric mode and dual-resonance in the transverse magnetic mode to perform the polarization-dependent characteristic. RSM_2, RSM_3, and RSM_4 exhibit tunable multi-resonance characteristics. By changing the height of the suspended layer, RSM_2, RSM_3, and RSM_4 exhibit optical switching characteristics. These switching resonances can be equivalent to binary bits, i.e., “0” and “1,” which can be programmed for opto-logic applications. These four designs of RSM devices possess the programmable multidigit switching characteristic by changing the incident polarization light. This study provides the possibility of a terahertz metamaterial to be used in the switch, programmable device, radar, and optical wireless communication applications.