Shape resonance omni-directional terahertz filters with near-unity transmittance

Terahertz transmission filters have been manufactured by perforating metal films with various geometric shapes using femtosecond laser machining. Two dimensional arrays of square, circular, rectangular, c-shaped, and epsilon-shaped holes all support over 99% transmission at specific frequencies determined by geometric shape, symmetry, polarization, and lattice constant. Our results show that plasmonic structures with different geometric shaped holes are extremely versatile, dependable, easy to control and easy to make terahertz filters. (c) 2006 Optical Society of America.