We investigate the use of coherent optical fields as a means of dynamically
controlling the resonant behaviour of a variety of composite metamaterials,
wherein the metamaterial structures are embedded in a dispersive dielectric
medium. Control and switching is implemented by coherently driving the resonant
permittivity of the embedding medium by applied optical radiation. The effect
of embedding Split ring resonators (SRR) in a frequency- dispersive medium with
Lorentz-like dispersion or with dispersion engineered by electromagnetic
induced transparency (EIT), is manifested in the splitting of the negative
permeability band, the modified (frequency-dependent) filling fractions and
dissipation factors. The modified material parameters are strongly linked to
the resonant frequencies of the medium, while for an embedding medium
exhibiting EIT, also to the strength and detuning of the control field. The
robustness of control against the deleterious influence of dissipation
associated with the metallic structures as well as the inhomogeneous broadening
due to structural imperfections is demonstrated. Studies on plasmonic
metamaterials that consist of metallic nanorods arranged in loops and exhibit a
collective magnetic response at optical frequencies are presented. Control and
switching in this class of plasmonic nanorod metamaterials is shown to be
possible, for example, by embedding these arrays in a Raman active liquid like
CS2​ and utilizing the Inverse Raman Effect.Comment: 9 pages, 9 figure