Tunable terahertz half-wave plate based on hybridization effect in coupled graphene nanodisks

We demonstrate a tunable terahertz half-wave plate composed of a periodic array of graphene nanodisk dimers supported on a dielectric spacer backed by a planar gold layer. The polarization conversion phenomena are attributed to the hybridization effect caused by coupling interactions between plasmonic resonances in the graphene nanodisk dimers. By varying the distance between graphene nanodisks, the polarization conversion performance can be controlled. Further, the polarization conversion can be dynamically tuned at different frequencies via electrostatic doping of graphene. Other novel phenomena and applications could be developed from coupled graphene structures in the future. (C) 2016 The Japan Society of Applied Physics