Reconfigurable Molecularization of Terahertz Meta-Atoms

Active terahertz metamaterial devices with controllable resonance proper-ties have been commonly investigated. However, owing to the limited tunability of theirfrequencies and low-quality factor resonances, these devices are difficult to adopt as single-devicefilters that can actively adjust diverse spectral information. Moreover, they typicallyrequire complex instrumentation for regulating terahertz waves. In this paper, we proposereconfigurable molecularization of terahertz meta-atoms allowing on-demand realization ofresonance characteristics in a single active terahertz metasurface. This is achieved byselectively controlling the electrical connections between the meta-atoms usingmicropatterned ion-gel gating structures. Based on this operation scheme, the resonancecharacteristics of the terahertz metamaterial can be controlled electrically, and it can serveas a multistate, transmissive metamaterialfilter with resonance frequencies tunable from 0.5to 1.3 THz. In addition, the reconfigurable molecularization of terahertz meta-atoms allowsproducing a transmissive metamaterial showing controllable transmission resonance toterahertz waves. Exploiting the versatility of an active metasurface, we demonstrateterahertz dichromatic vision distinguishing different saccharides without using spectroscopy systems

Automated summary

This paper proposes a reconfigurable terahertz metamaterial device that allows for controllable resonance properties through selective control of electrical connections between meta-atoms. This device can serve as a multistate, transmissive terahertz filter and be used for terahertz dichromatic vision.