A Thermally Controlled Multifunctional Metamaterial Absorber with Switchable Wideband Absorption and Transmission at THz Band

Abstract

This paper proposes a thermally controlled multifunctional metamaterial absorber with switchable wideband absorption and transmission at the THz band based on resistive film and vanadium dioxide (VO2). The function of the absorber can be adjusted by changing the phase transition characteristics of VO2. When VO2 is in a metallic state, the absorber can achieve wideband absorption with above 90% absorption from 3.31 THz to 10 THz and exhibits excellent absorption performance under a wide range of incident and polarization angles. When VO2 is in an insulating state, the metamaterial acts in transmission mode with a transmission coefficient of up to 61% at 5.15 THz. The transmission region is inside the absorption band, which is very important for practical applications. It has the advantages of having a simple structure, wideband absorption, and switchable absorption/transmission with potential application value in the fields of stealth of communication equipment and radar at the THz band.

Thermal controlled multi-functional metasurface for freely switching of absorption, reflection, and transmission

“…In recent years, a number of multi-functional metasurfaces (MFM) based on these three types have been proposed in both terahertz (THz) and microwave bands, which have different functions for different incident waves. [21][22][23][24][25][26][27] For example, by controlling the phase of Ge 2 Sb 2 Te 5 (GST) in the near-infrared (NIR) region, Zhang et al 28 proposed a multifunctional absorber capable of controlling the polarization and hence the selective absorption, and Nikhil et al 29 incorporated vanadium dioxide (VO 2 ) into the metasurface, which was able to achieve a dual-band transmission response in the THz band range. However, these devices are based on the control of established operating modes (absorption, transmission, or reflection), such as phase, frequency, amplitude, etc., and do not realize the switching of operating modes, which greatly limits the further applications of the metasurfaces.…”

Three-Layered Thin Films for Simultaneous Infrared Camouflage and Radiative Cooling

“…Recently, multilayered thin films have emerged that efficiently tune the radiative properties of materials [5][6][7][8][9][10][11]. As a type of metamaterial, multilayered thin films are composed of two or more stack-arranged dielectric materials, which have great potential for applications in perfect absorbers (PAs) [5,[11][12][13][14], radiative cooling [15][16][17][18][19] and IR camouflage [20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28]. While the investigation of individual functionalities is progressively advancing, the exploration of multilayered thin films that can be compatible with diverse functionalities is thriving.…”

Janus Device Based on Liquid Crystal Regulation with a Large Incidence Angle: Analogous Quantum Optical Effect and Absorption

“…[10] McPolin et al realized Janus dipolar sources that can be used in quantum technology through specific arrangements of nanostructures coupled to waveguide structures. [11] To achieve multifunctional integration, a common method is to use external conditions, such as sonic wave, [12] light, [13] temperature, [14] pressure, [15] voltage, [16] etc., to change the physical properties of the material, thus achieving functional switching under different environmental conditions. In the field of electronic control, liquid crystal, as an emerging popular material, can be used to control the phase and polarization of electromagnetic waves due to its anisotropy.…”