Electrically tunable infrared metamaterial devices
| DWPI Title: Metamaterial-based optical devices with tunable wavelength selectivity used for e.g. filters, has metallized layer which overlies buried layer and patterned as resonant metamaterial with absorptive infrared resonance at wavelength relative |
| Abstract: A wavelength-tunable, depletion-type infrared metamaterial optical device is provided. The device includes a thin, highly doped epilayer whose electrical permittivity can become negative at some infrared wavelengths. This highly-doped buried layer optically couples with a metamaterial layer. Changes in the transmission spectrum of the device can be induced via the electrical control of this optical coupling. An embodiment includes a contact layer of semiconductor material that is sufficiently doped for operation as a contact layer and that is effectively transparent to an operating range of infrared wavelengths, a thin, highly doped buried layer of epitaxially grown semiconductor material that overlies the contact layer, and a metallized layer overlying the buried layer and patterned as a resonant metamaterial. |
| Use: Metamaterial-based optical devices with tunable wavelength selectivity used for e.g., filters, switches, and modulators. |
| Advantage: Increases wavelength of operation in semiconductors by reducing the doping density. Exhibits stronger tuning effects and operates in a broader range of optical frequencies. |
| Novelty: The device has a layer (110) of semiconductor material that is sufficiently doped for operation as a contact layer and that is effectively transparent to an operating range of infrared wavelengths. Layer of epitaxially grown semiconductor material overlies the contact layer, is of a thickness not more than 0.025 times a vacuum wavelength in the operating range. Metallized layer overlies the buried layer and patterned as a resonant metamaterial (130) with one absorptive infrared resonance at a wavelength relative to which the buried layer (120) exhibits metallic-dielectric transition behavior. |
| Filed: 6/3/2013 |
| Application Number: US13908826A |
| Tech ID: SD 12371.0 |
| This invention was made with Government support under Contract No. DE-NA0003525 awarded by the United States Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration. The Government has certain rights in the invention. |
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