Thin terahertz-wave phase shifter by flexible film metamaterial with high transmission

Terahertz Fresnel-zone-plate thin-film lens based on a high-transmittance double-layer metamaterial phase shifter

Planar diffractive lenses, with metamaterial artificial structures and subwavelength thickness, provide unique and flexible platforms for optical design in the terahertz (THz) regime. Here, we present a metamaterial-based Rayleigh-Wood Fresnel-zone-plate (FZP) thin-film lens designed to focus a monochromatic THz beam at 1.0 THz with a high transmittance of 80%, short focal length of 24 mm, and subwavelength thickness of 48 µm. Specifically, the FZP lens is composed of 8 alternating concentric zones through a polymer film substrate, where odd zones are patterned with double-layer un-split ring resonators (USRRs) that provide a polarization-independent phase shift of π/2 compared to un-patterned even zones. Both simulation and experiment confirm that our FZP lens creates a focused beam at the designed frequency of 1.0 THz by constructive interference through alternating concentric metamaterial-patterned and un-patterned zones, producing a diffraction-limited resolution of 0.6 mm for imaging applications. In contrast to conventional approaches in which the uniform periodic array of metamaterial unit cells has been treated as an effective material, we newly find that double-layer USRRs can work as an independent meta-atom without degradation of its performances, which benefits the behavior of small arrays of double-layer USRRs located in the outer zones of the FZP lens. Such a planar thin-film lens would enable us to realize compact and lightweight THz systems.

Super terahertz phase shifter achieving high transmission and large modulation depth

We propose an industrial-grade liquid-crystal-based terahertz (THz) 2π-phase shifter with predictable ultra-high amplitude transmittance. The phase retardation reaches 360.5° at 1.68 THz by analyzing the birefringence of liquid crystal (LC), and the amplitude transmittance in 0.3-1.5 THz is over 83%. More than 91.5% transmittance can be reached by decreasing the scattering of the THz wave in the dynamic deflection process of LC molecules, and that is close to the transmittance limit of quartz-based devices. This millimeter-thick phase shifter reaches full phase modulation and ultra-high transmittance in a broad THz band, is easy to be integrated in a quasi-optical system with a compact size and can be utilized as a wave plate, even an element in a THz phased array.

Modulators for Terahertz Communication: The Current State of the Art

With the increase of communication frequency, terahertz (THz) communication technology has been an important research field; particularly the terahertz modulator is becoming one of the core devices in THz communication system. The modulation performance of a THz communication system depends on the characterization of THz modulator. THz modulators based on different principles and materials have been studied and developed. However, they are still on the way to practical application due to low modulation speed, narrow bandwidth, and insufficient modulation depth. Therefore, we review the research progress of THz modulator in recent years and evaluate devices critically and comprehensively. We focus on the working principles such as electric, optical, optoelectrical, thermal, magnetic, programmable metamaterials and nonlinear modulation methods for THz wave with semiconductors, metamaterials, and 2D materials (such as graphene, molybdenum disulfide, and tungsten disulfide). Furthermore, we propose a guiding rule to select appropriate materials and modulation methods for specific applications in THz communication.

Terahertz refractive index matching solution

We report on the fabrication and characterisation of a terahertz (THz) refractive index matching solution (TeraSol) based on barium titanate (BaTiO₃) particles and benzocyclobutene (BCB). The high refractive index of BaTiO₃ in the THz range makes this material ideal for tuning the effective refractive index of the solution over a wide range. Exploiting the effective medium approximation, we are able to determine the concentration of BaTiO₃ particles necessary to obtain target refractive index values between n = 1.8 and n = 5, optimised to match those of substrates widely used in the THz. TeraSol can dramatically reduce the reflections from the substrate during measurements with THz time domain spectroscopy at cryogenic and room temperature. These properties make TeraSol an appealing material for anti-reflective coatings.

Band enhanced ultra-broadband terahertz absorber based on a high-impedance surface and cavity resonance

This paper demonstrates a band enhanced ultra-broadband terahertz absorber (UBTA) based on a high-impedance surface and cavity resonance; the absorber consists of a high-impedance surface and a metallic plate spaced by a dielectric spacing layer. Simulations indicate that ultra-broadband absorption over 90% from 4.65 to 8.86 THz is realized by the high-impedance surface. It is noted that the absorption is further broadened by inserting air cylinders (ACs), thus showing that the absorption rate exceeds 90% from 5.35 to 13.08 THz. The simulations also demonstrate that the UBTA can achieve high absorption under wider incident angles. Moreover, surface current, electric field distribution, and power loss density are simulated to expound the physical mechanism.

Off-resonance and in-resonance metamaterial design for a high-transmission terahertz-wave quarter-wave plate

This Letter describes a novel metamaterial design by employing off-resonance and in-resonance excitation for a high-transmission terahertz-wave quarter-wave plate (QWP). The device is demonstrated with a thin film metamaterial with double-layer split ring resonators (SRRs). Different from a usual resonant metamaterial device, here we design the work frequency off from the inductor-capacitor (LC) resonance for the TE mode, while in a dipole resonance for the TM mode to obtain the artificial birefringence. Rectangular SRRs in this Letter provide a choice to optimize the off-resonance and in-resonance excitation, to assist the double-layer design for high transmission. Converting a linearly polarized wave to circular polarization with our QWP, the experiment confirms a transmittance of 0.8 and an ellipticity of 0.99 at 0.98 THz. The developed thin film device is flexible and has a thickness of 48 μm (sub-wavelength). This is an advantage for potential integration in systems where overall device compactness is required.

Dielectric-resonator metasurfaces for broadband terahertz quarter- and half-wave mirrors

Polarization conversion of terahertz waves is important for applications in imaging and communications. Conventional wave plates used for polarization conversion are inherently bulky and operate at discrete wavelengths. As a substitute, we employ reflective metasurfaces composed of subwavelength resonators to obtain similar functionality but with enhanced performance. More specifically, we demonstrate low-order dielectric resonators in place of commonly used planar metallic resonators to achieve high radiation efficiencies. As a demonstration of the concept, we present firstly, a quarter-wave mirror that converts 45° incident linearly polarized waves into circularly polarized waves. Next, we present a half-wave mirror that preserves the handedness of circularly polarized waves upon reflection, and in addition, rotates linearly polarized waves by 90° upon reflection. Both metasurfaces operate with high efficiency over a measurable relative bandwidth of 49% for the quarter-wave mirror and 53% for the half-wave mirror. This broadband and high efficiency capabilities of our metasurfaces will allow to leverage maximum benefits from a vast terahertz bandwidth.