Active terahertz metamaterial devices

• US 7,826,504 B2
• Filed: 04/03/2009
• Issued: 11/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: National Technology & Engineering Solutions Of Sandia LLC (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Los Alamos National Security LLC (Government of the United States of America)
• Inventors: Lee, Mark, Padilla, Willie John, Chen, Houtong, O'Hara, John F., Averitt, Richard Douglas
• Primary Examiner(s): Harvey; Minsun
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; Phillip
• Application Number:
  US12/418,064
• Publication Number:
  US 20090262766A1
• Time in Patent Office: 578 Days
• Field of Search: 372/4, 372 4301- 45, 343/700.MS, 343/741, 343/900
• US Class Current: 372/43.01
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/015 based on semiconductor elements having potential barriers, e.g. having a PN or PIN junction G02F1/03 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 15/0086 said selective devices having materials with a synthesized negative refractive index, e.g. metamaterials or left-handed materials
• CPC Class Codes: H03C 7/027 using diodes

Abstract

Metamaterial structures are taught which provide for the modulation of terahertz frequency signals. Each element within an array of metamaterial (MM) elements comprises multiple loops and at least one gap. The MM elements may comprise resonators with conductive loops and insulated gaps, or the inverse in which insulated loops are present with conductive gaps; each providing useful transmissive control properties. The metamaterial elements are fabricated on a semiconducting substrate configured with a means of enhancing or depleting electrons from near the gaps of the MM elements. An on to off transmissivity ratio of about 0.5 is achieved with this approach. Embodiments are described in which the MM elements incorporated within a Quantum Cascade Laser (QCL) to provide surface emitting (SE) properties.

Claims

1. An apparatus for modulating terahertz radiation, comprising:

a substrate comprising a doped semiconductor material;

an array of multi-loop split-ring resonators on said substrate;

said multi-loop split ring resonators of a size less that the wavelength of the incident terahertz radiation;

at least one gap in said split-ring resonators, said gaps configured to modulate the circulation of current flow in said split-ring resonator;

wherein said at least one gap is configured for generating a resonant response with alternating charge accumulation in response to the presence of said at least one gap; and

means for externally exciting electrons in said substrate for modulating the resonance of said array of multi-loop split-ring resonators to control the transmissive ratio of said apparatus.

2. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said multi-loop split ring resonators comprise original metamaterial structures having multiple loops of conductive material within which at least one insulated gap is interposed.

3. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said multi-loop split ring resonators comprise complementary metamaterial structures having multiple looping regions on said substrate which are non-conductive within which at least one conductive gap is interposed.

4. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the on-to-off state transmissive ratio of said apparatus is approximately 0.5.

5. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said at least one gap in said split-ring resonators drives the capacitance toward zero, and thus dampens resonant response, of said split-ring resonators in response to the presence of electrons in said gap.

6. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said the capacitance of at least one gap in said split-ring resonators increases, and thus increases resonant response, of said split-ring resonators in response to the depletion of electrons from said gap.

7. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said substrate comprises a sufficiently thin layer of semiconductor to allow the passage of a substantial portion of the terahertz radiation during portions of resonant cycles within said split-ring resonators.

8. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said substrate comprises a lightly-doped semiconductor material.

9. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said multi-loop split-ring resonator comprises a pair of concentric conductive rings.

10. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said multi-loop split-ring resonator provides a resonant response although without a negative refractive index.

11. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein at frequencies near the characteristic frequency of the resonant electron flow the values of permittivity (∈

) and permeability vary over a wide range in response to small changes in frequency.

12. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said control of the transmissive ratio of said apparatus is achieved at room temperatures.

13. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said means for externally exciting said substrate comprises electrical contacts on said substrate configured for receiving a modulating signal which is coupled through conductors to said multi-loop split-ring resonators.

14. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said electrical contacts comprise at least one ohmic contact and at least one Schottky contact.

15. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said means for externally exciting said substrate comprises a means of photoexcitation.

16. An apparatus as recited in claim 15, wherein said means of photoexcitation comprises a laser.

17. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said apparatus is incorporated within a Quantum Cascade Laser (QCL) to permit device operation in a surface emitting mode through said array of multi-loop split-ring resonators configured on an active region of said QCL device.

18. An apparatus for modulating terahertz radiation, comprising:

a substrate comprising a thin and lightly-doped semiconductor material;

wherein said substrate comprises a sufficiently thin layer semiconductor material to allow the passage of a substantial portion of the terahertz radiation during portions of resonant cycles within said split-ring resonators;

an array of multi-loop split-ring resonators on said substrate;

said multi-loop split ring resonators of a size less that the wavelength of the incident terahertz radiation;

at least one gap in said split-ring resonators, said gaps configured to modulate the circulation of current flow in said split-ring resonator;

wherein said at least one gap is configured for generating a resonant response with alternating charge accumulation in response to the presence of said at least one gap; and

wherein said at least one gap in said split-ring resonators drives the capacitance toward zero, and thus dampens resonant response, of said split-ring resonators in response to the presence of electrons in said gap;

wherein said the capacitance of at least one gap in said split-ring resonators increases, and thus increases resonant response, of said split-ring resonators in response to the depletion of electrons from said gap;

electrical contacts coupled to said array of multi-loop split-ring resonators for exciting electrons in said substrate to control their position in relation to said at least gap in said split-ring resonators and thus modulate the resonance of said array of multi-loop split-ring resonators for controlling the transmissive ratio of said apparatus.

19. A surface emitting (SE) quantum cascade laser (QCL), comprising:

a substrate comprising a doped semiconductor material;

a first electrode on the surface of said substrate;

an active region upon said first electrode;

a second electrode comprising an array of multi-loop split-ring resonators on the surface of said active region;

said multi-loop split ring resonators of a size less that the wavelength of the characteristic terahertz radiation;

at least one gap in said split-ring resonators, said gap configured to modulate the circulation of current flow in said split-ring resonator;

wherein said at least one gap is configured for generating a resonant response with alternating charge accumulation in response to the presence of said at least one gap; and

contacts on said first electrode and said second electrode through which a modulation signal is received for exciting electrons in said active region for modulating the resonance of said array of multi-loop split-ring resonators to control the surface emission from said transmissive ratio of said quantum cascade laser.

20. A method of modulating transmissivity of a metamaterial structure at terahertz frequencies, comprising:

establishing a periodic array of metamaterial elements upon a semiconductor device layer;

configuring each metamaterial element to have multiple loops with at least one gap;

receiving an electrical modulation signal for controlling the transmissivity of said metamaterial structure;

depleting the number of electrons near said at least one gap of said periodic array of metamaterial structures to provide a first level of transmissivity in response to a first level of electrical modulation;

enhancing the number of electrons near said at least one gap of said periodic array of metamaterial structures to provide a second level of transmissivity in response to a second level of electrical modulation; and

generating a resonant response with alternating charge accumulation near said at least one gap in each said metamaterial element in said periodic array in response to the presence of electrons near said at least one gap in each said metamaterial element toward changing transmissivity.