Electrically switchable metallic polymer nanoantennas

Electrical switching of a metal-to-insulator transition would provide a building block for integrated electro-optically active plasmonics. In this work, we realize plasmonic nanoantennas from metallic polymers, which show well-pronounced localized plasmon resonances in their metallic state. As a result of the electrochemically driven optical metal-to-insulator transition of the polymer, the plasmonic resonances can be electrically switched fully off and back on at video-rate frequencies of up to 30 hertz by applying alternating voltages of only +/- 1 volt. With the use of this concept, we demonstrate electrically switchable beam-steering metasurfaces with a 100% contrast ratio in transmission. Our approach will help to realize ultrahigh efficiency plasmonic-based integrated active optical devices, including high-resolution augmented and virtual reality technologies.

Automated summary

The study presents plasmonic nanoantennas made from metallic polymers and demonstrates an optically driven metal-to-insulator transition, enabling electrically switchable plasmonic resonances. Using this concept, electrically switchable beam-steering metasurfaces with high efficiency were successfully realized, showing potential for integrated active optical devices based on plasmonics.