Switching metamaterials with electronic signals and electron-beam excitations

Sámson, Z.L., Adamo, G., MacDonald, K.F., Knight, K., De Angelis, F., Nikolaenko, A., Huang, C.C., Di Fabrizio, E., Hewak, D.W. and Zheludev, N.I. (2010) Switching metamaterials with electronic signals and electron-beam excitations. SPIE Photonics Europe, Brussels, Belgium. 11 - 15 Apr 2010.

Abstract

We demonstrate that the material technology behind rewritable optical disks offers a new switching paradigm for metamaterials. Non-volatile optical switching devices are achieved through the hybridization of planar metamaterials with functional chalcogenide glass. We show experimentally that this phase-change medium can be switched in a hybrid metamaterial structure between amorphous and crystalline states by application of short electrical pulses or by stimulation with a focused electron beam.

We have achieved a significant shift in the resonant transmission spectrum of metamaterials based on metallic nanostructures that support plasmonic dark-mode resonances, hybridized with nanoscale layers of the chalcogenide gallium lanthanum sulphide. The transition between amorphous and crystalline forms brings about a 120 nm shift in the near-infrared resonance wavelength of the hybrid structure, providing transmission modulation functionality with a contrast ratio of 4:1 in a device of sub-wavelength thickness.

This record has no associated files available for download.

Contributors

Author: K.F. MacDonald

Author: C.C. Huang

Author: D.W. Hewak

Author: N.I. Zheludev

Download statistics