Broadband control of flow of light using plasmonic metasurfaces consisting of arrays of metallic split ring nanoantennas

When a metallic U-shaped nanoantenna (split ring resonator) is observed from its sides, variations in the viewing angle can lead to significantly different size and shape projections. In this study, we demonstrate that plasmonic metasurfaces consisting of arrays of such nanoantennas can support unique side (in-plane) scattering switching and routing processes. These processes encompass a polarization switching centered at 1.6 mu m, which is driven by the coherent excitation of the nanoantennas' multipolar modes. They also include spectrally broadband (0.5-1.6 mu m) directional control of the flow of in-plane light scattering. Such a process includes a total prohibition of light emerging from one side of the metasurface for a given polarization of the incident light. However, when such polarization is rotated by 90 degrees, the flow of the in-plane scattering opens with high efficiency. We further discuss the impact of the formation of surface lattice resonance on the coherent amplification of infrared scattering around 1.6 mu m and its switching process. The results underscore the influence of variations in asymmetry, associated with the sizes and shape projections, on interference processes. They also showcase how in-plane scattering has the capacity to transfer distinct characteristics of plasmonic near-field asymmetries induced by optical fields into far-field scattering. Published under an exclusive license by AIP Publishing.

Automated summary

Variations in viewing angle of a metallic U-shaped nanoantenna can lead to different size and shape projections. Plasmonic metasurfaces consisting of arrays of such nanoantennas show unique side scattering switching and routing processes, including polarization switching centered at 1.6 μm and spectrally broadband directional control of in-plane light scattering. The results also highlight the impact of surface lattice resonance on infrared scattering and its switching process.