Switchable multifunctional terahertz metasurfaces employing vanadium dioxide

Abstract

In this paper, we design a type of switchable metasurfaces by employing vanadium dioxide (VO₂), which possess tunable and diversified functionalities in the terahertz (THz) frequencies. The properly designed homogeneous metasurface can be dynamically tuned from a broadband absorber to a reflecting surface due to the insulator-to-metal transition of VO₂. When VO₂ is in its insulating state, the metasurface can efficiently absorb the normally incident THz wave in the frequency range of 0.535–1.3 THz with the average absorption of ~97.2%. Once the VO₂ is heated up and switched to its fully metallic state, the designed metasurface exhibits broadband and efficient reflection (>80%) in the frequency range from 0.5 to 1.3 THz. Capitalizing on such meta-atom design, we further extend the functionalities by introducing phase-gradients when VO₂ is in its fully metallic state and consequently achieve polarization-insensitive beam-steering and polarization-splitting, while maintaining broadband absorption when VO₂ is in insulating state.