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Nano-Electro-Mechanical Switchable (NEMS) photonic metamaterial

Nano-Electro-Mechanical Switchable (NEMS) photonic metamaterial
Nano-Electro-Mechanical Switchable (NEMS) photonic metamaterial
Lack of tunability is a key challenge for metamaterials, whose unique properties are usually fixed and limited to a single resonant wavelength. Here we introduce nanoelectro-mechanical switchable (NEMS) photonic metamaterials as a flexible platform for large-range tuning, switching and modulation of metamaterial properties in the optical part of the spectrum.
We tune, switch and modulate the optical properties of metamaterials by controlling the spacing and thus coupling between nanoscale metamaterial resonators. The metamolecules are placed on electrically conductive, flexible support structures, the spacing of which depends on electrostatic forces resulting from an applied voltage. For small applied voltages the electrostatic force is balanced by the elastic restoring force of the support structures, giving rise to continuously tunable optical properties, which can be modulated at rates in excess of 100 kHz. However, when the applied voltage is increased beyond 5.7 V the electrostatic force overcomes the restoring force, resulting in high-contrast, step-like switching of the metamaterial’s optical properties including a 15% red-shift of its resonance and a 72% reflectivity change in the telecommunications band around 1500 nm.
Apart from fast modulation, tuning and high-contrast switching of their optical properties, voltage-controlled NEMS photonic metamaterials easily integrate with electronics, making them a flexible and practical solution for tunable metamaterial devices
Ou, J-Y.
3fb703e3-b222-46d2-b4ee-75f296d9d64d
Plum, E.
50761a26-2982-40df-9153-7aecc4226eb5
Chen, W.T.
e1e9d172-77bb-47a4-a91e-57d017b381b4
Tsai, D.P.
ac188460-c076-41ee-bce4-7aa873f757e3
Zheludev, N.I.
32fb6af7-97e4-4d11-bca6-805745e40cc6
Ou, J-Y.
3fb703e3-b222-46d2-b4ee-75f296d9d64d
Plum, E.
50761a26-2982-40df-9153-7aecc4226eb5
Chen, W.T.
e1e9d172-77bb-47a4-a91e-57d017b381b4
Tsai, D.P.
ac188460-c076-41ee-bce4-7aa873f757e3
Zheludev, N.I.
32fb6af7-97e4-4d11-bca6-805745e40cc6

Ou, J-Y., Plum, E., Chen, W.T., Tsai, D.P. and Zheludev, N.I. (2012) Nano-Electro-Mechanical Switchable (NEMS) photonic metamaterial. SPIE Photonics Europe 2012, , Brussels, Belgium. 16 - 19 Apr 2012.

Record type: Conference or Workshop Item (Poster)

Abstract

Lack of tunability is a key challenge for metamaterials, whose unique properties are usually fixed and limited to a single resonant wavelength. Here we introduce nanoelectro-mechanical switchable (NEMS) photonic metamaterials as a flexible platform for large-range tuning, switching and modulation of metamaterial properties in the optical part of the spectrum.
We tune, switch and modulate the optical properties of metamaterials by controlling the spacing and thus coupling between nanoscale metamaterial resonators. The metamolecules are placed on electrically conductive, flexible support structures, the spacing of which depends on electrostatic forces resulting from an applied voltage. For small applied voltages the electrostatic force is balanced by the elastic restoring force of the support structures, giving rise to continuously tunable optical properties, which can be modulated at rates in excess of 100 kHz. However, when the applied voltage is increased beyond 5.7 V the electrostatic force overcomes the restoring force, resulting in high-contrast, step-like switching of the metamaterial’s optical properties including a 15% red-shift of its resonance and a 72% reflectivity change in the telecommunications band around 1500 nm.
Apart from fast modulation, tuning and high-contrast switching of their optical properties, voltage-controlled NEMS photonic metamaterials easily integrate with electronics, making them a flexible and practical solution for tunable metamaterial devices

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More information

Published date: 2012
Venue - Dates: SPIE Photonics Europe 2012, , Brussels, Belgium, 2012-04-16 - 2012-04-19
Organisations: Optoelectronics Research Centre

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 365093
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/365093
PURE UUID: d3c57cfd-1b74-4f83-a035-20be0b7130b6
ORCID for J-Y. Ou: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0001-8028-6130
ORCID for E. Plum: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-1552-1840
ORCID for N.I. Zheludev: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-1013-6636

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 22 May 2014 10:16
Last modified: 12 Dec 2021 02:45

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Contributors

Author: J-Y. Ou ORCID iD
Author: E. Plum ORCID iD
Author: W.T. Chen
Author: D.P. Tsai
Author: N.I. Zheludev ORCID iD

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