Abstract-Gbps terahertz external modulator based on a composite metamaterial with a double-channel heterostructure

Yaxin Zhang , Shen Qiao , Shixiong Liang , Zhenhua Wu , Ziqiang Yang , Zhihong Feng , Han Sun , Yucong Zhou , Linlin Sun , Zhi Chen , Xianbing Zou , Bo Zhang , Jianhao Hu , Shaoqian Li ,Qin Chen , Ling Li , Gaiqi Xu , Yuncheng Zhao , and Shenggang Liu

Nano Lett., Just Accepted Manuscript

DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.5b00869

Publication Date (Web): April 28, 2015

Copyright © 2015 American Chemical Society

http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.nanolett.5b00869

The past few decades have witnessed a substantial increase in terahertz (THz) research. Utilizing THz waves to transmit communication and imaging data has created a high demand for phase and amplitude modulation. However, current active THz devices, including modulators and switches, still cannot meet THz system demands. Double-channel heterostructures, an alternative semiconductor system, can support nano-scale two-dimensional electron gases (2DEGs) with high carrier concentration and mobility and provide a new way to develop active THz devices. In this article, we present a composite metamaterial structure that combines an equivalent collective dipolar array with a double-channel heterostructure to obtain an effective, ultra-fast and all-electronic grid-controlled THz modulator. Electrical control allows for resonant mode conversion between two different dipolar resonances in the active device, which significantly improves the modulation speed and depth. This THz modulator is the first to achieve a 1-GHz modulation speed and 85% modulation depth during real-time dynamic tests. Moreover, a 1.19-rad phase shift was realized. A wireless free-space-modulation THz communication system based on this external THz modulator was tested using 0.2-Gbps eye patterns. Therefore, this active composite metamaterial modulator provides a basis for the development of effective and ultra-fast dynamic devices for THz wireless communication and imaging systems.

Abstract-Controlling the transparency window in terahertz band using mode coupling metamaterials

Shen Qiao¹, Yaxin Zhang^1,a), Gaiqi Xu¹, Linlin Sun¹, Han Sun¹, Ling Li¹,Shixiong Liang², Yuncheng Zhao¹ and Ziqiang Yang¹
http://scitation.aip.org/content/aip/journal/jap/117/6/10.1063/1.4907870
1 Terahertz Science Cooperative Innovation Center, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, China
2 National Key Laboratory of Application Specific Integrated Circuit, Hebei Semiconductor Research Institute, Shijiazhuang 050051, China
a) Author to whom correspondence should be addressed. Electronic mail: Zhangyaxin@uestc.edu.cn
J. Appl. Phys. 117, 063103 (2015); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4907870

Mode-coupling metamaterials are typically composite structures with different resonance modes. Controlling couplings among these modes results in a sharp transparency window within the absorption spectrum of the metamaterials. Here, we present a composite structure of ring and split-ring resonators to constitute a new structure with entirely new mode. Experimental results show that the asymmetric combination of these resonators can result in a variation in transparency strength. The dimensions and relative positions of the split-ringresonator are discussed particularly with a series of experimental results. Simulation results show that the coupling intensity is the main reason for this behavior. Exploiting this aspect, a way to control the transparency window between composite structure metamaterials is proposed.

Abstract-Photoinduced active terahertz metamaterials with nanostructured vanadium dioxide film deposited by sol-gel method

Yaxin Zhang, Shen Qiao, Linlin Sun, Qi Wu Shi, Wanxia Huang, Ling Li, and Ziqiang Yang  »View Author Affiliations

Optics Express, Vol. 22, Issue 9, pp. 11070-11078 (2014)
http://dx.doi.org/10.1364/OE.22.011070

Applying the photoexcitation characteristics of vanadium dioxide (VO₂), a dynamic resonant terahertz (THz) functional device with the combination of VO₂ film and dual-resonance metamaterial was suggested to realize the ultrafast external spatial THz wave active manipulation. The designed metamaterial realizes a pass band at 0.28–0.36 THz between the dual-resonant frequencies, and the VO₂ film is applied to control the transmittance of the spatial THz wave. More than an 80% modulation depth has been observed in the statics experiment, and the dynamic experimental results illustrate that this active metamaterial realizes up to a 1 MHz amplitude modulation signal loaded on a 0.34 THz carrier wave without any low noise amplified devices. The electromagnetic properties and photoinduced dynamic characteristics of this structure may have many potential applications in THz functional components, including modulators, intelligent switches, and sensors.

© 2014 Optical Society of America