A terahertz (THz) spatial light modulator implemented with metamaterial absorbers (MMAs) functionalized with isothiocyanate‐based liquid crystals (LCs) is experimentally demonstrated. The device is ...designed to work in reflection mode and is arranged in a 6 × 6 pixel matrix where the response of each pixel is modulated by electronically controlling the orientation of liquid crystal dimers covering the entire metamaterial absorber landscape. Experiments show that each pixel can be controlled independently and that pixelated absorption patterns can be created at will. The SLM shows an overall modulation depth of 75%. Furthermore, computational results show that losses arising from LCs impose a severe limitation on the overall performance and that consequently the modulation depth of each pixel could be improved with liquid crystal mixtures designed primarily for THz frequencies. This work demonstrates the viability of liquid crystal‐based reconfigurable metamaterials and highlights their great potential use for future state‐of‐the‐art THz devices.
Metamaterial absorbers combined with liquid crystals are used to implement a spatial light modulator (SLM) for THz frequencies. Here a 6 × 6 pixel SLM is presented where the orientation of liquid crystals is electronically controlled. The device, designed to work in reflection mode, shows 75% modulation performance. By changing the orientation of each pixel independently patterns can be formed at will.
Metamaterials exhibit numerous novel effects and operate over a large portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. Metamaterial devices based on these effects include gradient-index lenses, modulators ...for terahertz radiation and compact waveguides. The resonant nature of metamaterials results in frequency dispersion and narrow bandwidth operation where the centre frequency is fixed by the geometry and dimensions of the elements comprising the metamaterial composite. The creation of frequency-agile metamaterials would extend the spectral range over which devices function and, further, enable the manufacture of new devices such as dynamically tunable notch filters. Here, we demonstrate such frequency-agile metamaterials operating in the far-infrared by incorporating semiconductors in critical regions of metallic split-ring resonators. For this first-generation device, external optical control results in tuning of the metamaterial resonance frequency by ∼20%. Our approach is integrable with current semiconductor technologies and can be implemented in other regions of the electromagnetic spectrum.
We present a metamaterial absorber detector array that enables room-temperature, narrow-band detection of gigahertz (GHz) radiation in the S band (2-4 GHz). The system is implemented in a commercial ...printed circuit board process and we characterize the detector sensitivity and angular dependence. A modified metamaterial absorber geometry allows for each unit cell to act as an isolated detector pixel and to collectively form a focal plane array . Each pixel can have a dedicated microwave receiver chain and functions together as a hybrid device tuned to maximize the efficiency of detected power. The demonstrated subwavelength pixel shows detected sensitivity of -77 dBm, corresponding to a radiation power density of 27 nW/m(2), with pixel to pixel coupling interference below -14 dB at 2.5 GHz.
We present an experimental demonstration of electronically tunable metamaterial absorbers in the terahertz regime. By incorporation of active liquid crystal into strategic locations within the ...metamaterial unit cell, we are able to modify the absorption by 30% at 2.62 THz, as well as tune the resonant absorption over 4% in bandwidth. Numerical full-wave simulations match well to experiments and clarify the underlying mechanism, i.e., a simultaneous tuning of both the electric and magnetic response that allows for the preservation of the resonant absorption. These results show that fundamental light interactions of surfaces can be dynamically controlled by all-electronic means and provide a path forward for realization of novel applications.
Phase-change materials are functionally important materials that can be thermally interconverted between metallic (crystalline) and semiconducting (amorphous) phases on a very short time scale. ...Although the interconversion appears to involve a change in local atomic coordination numbers, the electronic basis for this process is still unclear. Here, we demonstrate that in a nearly vacancy-free binary GeSb system where we can drive the phase change both thermally and, as we discover, by pressure, the transformation into the amorphous phase is electronic in origin. Correlations between conductivity, total system energy, and local atomic coordination revealed by experiments and long time ab initio simulations show that the structural reorganization into the amorphous state is driven by opening of an energy gap in the electronic density of states. The electronic driving force behind the phase change has the potential to change the interconversion paradigm in this material class.
We present a single pixel terahertz (THz) imaging technique using optical photoexcitation of semiconductors to dynamically and spatially control the electromagnetic properties of a semiconductor mask ...to collectively form a THz spatial light modulator (SLM). By co-propagating a THz and collimated optical laser beam through a high-resistivity silicon wafer, we are able to modify the THz transmission in real-time. By further encoding a spatial pattern on the optical beam with a digital micro-mirror device (DMD), we may write masks for THz radiation. We use masks of varying complexities ranging from 63 to 1023 pixels and are able to acquire images at speeds up to 1/2 Hz. Our results demonstrate the viability of obtaining real-time and high-fidelity THz images using an optically controlled SLM with a single pixel detector.
Imaging at long wavelengths, for example at terahertz and millimetre-wave frequencies, is a highly sought-after goal of researchers because of the great potential for applications ranging from ...security screening and skin cancer detection to all-weather navigation and biodetection. Here, we design, fabricate and demonstrate active metamaterials that function as real-time tunable, spectrally sensitive spatial masks for terahertz imaging with only a single-pixel detector. A modulation technique permits imaging with negative mask values, which is typically difficult to achieve with intensity-based components. We demonstrate compressive techniques allowing the acquisition of high-frame-rate, high-fidelity images. Our system is all solid-state with no moving parts, yields improved signal-to-noise ratios over standard raster-scanning techniques, and uses a source orders of magnitude lower in power than conventional set-ups. The demonstrated imaging system establishes a new path for terahertz imaging that is distinct from existing focal-plane-array-based cameras.
MHz conductivity, torque magnetometer, and magnetization measurements are reported on single crystals of CeOs4Sb12 and NdOs4Sb12 using temperatures down to 0.5 K and magnetic fields of up to 60 ...tesla. The field-orientation dependence of the de Haas-van Alphen and Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations is deduced by rotating the samples about the 010 and 01¯1 directions. The results indicate that NdOs4Sb12 has a similar Fermi surface topology to that of the unusual superconductor PrOs4Sb12, but with significantly smaller effective masses, supporting the importance of local phonon modes in contributing to the low-temperature heat capacity of NdOs4Sb12. By contrast, CeOs4Sb12 undergoes a field-induced transition from an unusual semimetal into a high-field, high-temperature state characterized by a single, almost spherical Fermi-surface section. The behavior of the phase boundary and comparisons with models of the band structure lead us to propose that the field-induced phase transition in CeOs4Sb12 is similar in origin to the well-known α−γ transition in Ce and its alloys.
Here we consider a tunable superconducting cavity that can be used either as a tunable coupler to a qubit inside the cavity or as a tunable low noise, low temperature, RF filter. Our design consists ...of an array of radio-frequency superconducting quantum interference devices (rf SQUIDs) inside a superconducting cavity. This forms a tunable metamaterial structure which couples to the cavity through its magnetic plasma frequency. By tuning the resonant frequency of the metamaterial through an applied magnetic flux, one can tune the cavity mode profile. This allows us to detune the cavity initially centered at 5.593 GHz by over 200 MHz. The maximum quality factor approaches that of the empty cavity, which is 4.5 × 10
. The metamaterial electromagnetic response is controlled via a low-frequency or dc magnetic flux bias, and we present a control line architecture that is capable of applying sufficient magnetic flux bias with minimal parasitic coupling. Together this design allows for an in-situ tunable cavity which enables low-temperature quantum control applications.
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