Abstract-Enhanced on-chip terahertz sensing with hybrid metasurface/lithium niobate structures

Applied Physics Letters

Ride Wang, Qiang Wu, Yaqing Zhang, Xitan Xu, Qi Zhang, Wenjuan Zhao, Bin Zhang, Wei Cai, Jianghong Yao, Jingjun Xu

(a) Schematic of THz detection of an analyte using a microrod array metasurface as an on-chip sensor. A column of y-polarized dipoles located inside the LN waveguide is used to excite THz waves (blue oscillation signal). The thickness of the SiO2 layer is h = 2 μm. The inset shows the detailed design parameters: p, a, l and g are 20, 10, 55, and 15 μm, respectively. (b) Enhanced field confined to the surface of the composite structure. (c) and (d) Distribution of the field components Ey and Ez at f = 0.529 THz.

https://aip.scitation.org/doi/abs/10.1063/1.5087609

Recognizing special molecules is crucial in many biochemical processes, and thus, highly enhanced sensing methods are in high demand. In this work, we designed a microrod array metasurface with a SiO2-loaded subwavelength lithium niobate waveguide as a unique platform for enhanced experimental fingerprint detection of lactose. The metasurface could lead to strong surface wave modes due to the near-field coupling of the spoof localized surface plasmon, which also could provide a stronger interaction length between light and matter. The selectivity was remarkable in the transmission spectrum at an intrinsic characteristic frequency of 0.529 THz with a thin layer of lactose, while it was faint while transmitting terahertz (THz) waves normally through a lactose layer of the same thickness. Together with the ability to freely design the shape of the metasurface and the electromagnetic properties, we believe that this platform can function as an elegant on-chip-scale enhanced THz sensing platform.