Dynamic bound states in the continuum

All-dielectric metasurfaces are a versatile platform to investigate a host of unconventional physical scattering responses. Effects, including high absorption and Huygens’ surfaces, have been demonstrated; however, a more exotic materialization—termed bound states in the continuum (BSCs)—exists and consists of nonradiating localized waves that lie within the energy spectrum of the continuum. Here we experimentally demonstrate a dynamic BSC at terahertz frequencies that realizes a material-limited high-quality factor () resonance =8.7×103, which may be modified by over 2 orders of magnitude through photodoping with band gap light. We elucidate the nature of the BSC resonance, and our experimental results are well supported by eigenvalue and -parameter simulations. The demonstrated system and underlying theory establish a path to realize extremely high- dynamic resonances, which may be useful for detection of hazardous materials and frequency-diverse imaging.U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) (DESC0014372); Australian Research Council (ARC); National Science Foundation (NSF) (ECCS-1542015); National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure (NNCI)

Decoupling Crossover in Asymmetric Broadside Coupled Split Ring Resonators at Terahertz Frequencies

We investigate the electromagnetic response of asymmetric broadside coupled split ring resonators (ABC-SRRs) as a function of the relative in-plane displacement between the two component SRRs. The asymmetry is defined as the difference in the capacitive gap widths (\Delta g) between the two resonators comprising a coupled unit. We characterize the response of ABC-SRRs both numerically and experimentally via terahertz time-domain spectroscopy. As with symmetric BC-SRRs (\Delta g=0 \mu m), a large redshift in the LC resonance is observed with increasing displacement, resulting from changes in the capacitive and inductive coupling. However, for ABC-SRRs, in-plane shifting between the two resonators by more than 0.375Lo (Lo=SRR sidelength) results in a transition to a response with two resonant modes, associated with decoupling in the ABC-SRRs. For increasing \Delta g, the decoupling transition begins at the same relative shift (0.375Lo), though with an increase in the oscillator strength of the new mode. This strongly contrasts with symmetric BC-SRRs which present only one resonance for shifts up to 0.75Lo. Since all BC-SRRs are effectively asymmetric when placed on a substrate, an understanding of ABC-SRR behavior is essential for a complete understanding of BC-SRR based metamaterials

Three-dimensional broadband tunable terahertz metamaterials

We present optically tunable magnetic 3D metamaterials at terahertz (THz) frequencies which exhibit a tuning range of ~30% of the resonance frequency. This is accomplished by fabricating 3D array structures consisting of double-split-ring resonators (DSRRs) on silicon-on-sapphire, fabricated using multilayer electroplating. Photoexcitation of free carriers in the silicon within the capacitive region of the DSRR results in a red-shift of the resonant frequency from 1.74 THz to 1.16 THz. The observed frequency shift leads to a transition from a magnetic-to-bianisotropic response as verified through electromagnetic simulations and parameter retrieval. Our approach extends dynamic metamaterial tuning to magnetic control, and may find applications in switching and modulation, polarization control, or tunable perfect absorbers.Comment: 5page

Nonlinear terahertz metamaterials via field-enhanced carrier dynamics in GaAs

We demonstrate nonlinear metamaterial split ring resonators (SRRs) on GaAs at terahertz frequencies. For SRRs on doped GaAs films, incident terahertz radiation with peak fields of ~20 - 160 kV/cm drives intervalley scattering. This reduces the carrier mobility and enhances the SRR LC response due to a conductivity decrease in the doped thin film. Above ~160 kV/cm, electric field enhancement within the SRR gaps leads to efficient impact ionization, increasing the carrier density and the conductivity which, in turn, suppresses the SRR resonance. We demonstrate an increase of up to 10 orders of magnitude in the carrier density in the SRR gaps on semi-insulating GaAs substrate. Furthermore, we show that the effective permittivity can be swept from negative to positive values with increasing terahertz field strength in the impact ionization regime, enabling new possibilities for nonlinear metamaterials.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Infrared all-dielectric Kerker metasurfaces

The unidirectional scattering of electromagnetic waves in the backward and forward direction, termed Kerkers’ first and second conditions, respectively, is a prominent feature of sub-wavelength particles, which also has been found recently in all-dielectric metasurfaces. Here we formulate the exact polarizability requirements necessary to achieve both Kerker conditions simultaneously with dipole terms only and demonstrate its equivalence to so-called “invisible metasurfaces”. We further describe the perfect absorption mechanism in all-dielectric metasurfaces through development of an extended Kerker formalism. The phenomena of both invisibility and perfect absorption is shown in a 2D hexagonal array of cylindrical resonators, where only the resonator height is modified to switch between the two states. The developed framework provides critical insight into the range of scattering response possible with all-dielectric metasurfaces, providing a methodology for studying exotic electromagnetic phenomena.National Nanotechnology Coordinating Office; National Science Foundation (ECCS-1542015); Australian Research Council (UNSW Scientia Fellowship); U.S. Department of Energy (DESC0014372)