Withawat Withayachumnankul

Ultrasensitive terahertz sensing with high-Q Fano resonances in metasurfaces

High quality factor resonances are extremely promising for designing ultra-sensitive refractive index label-free sensors, since it allows intense interaction between electromagnetic waves and the analyte material. Metamaterial and plasmonic sensing have recently attracted a lot of attention due to subwavelength confinement of electromagnetic fields in the resonant structures. However, the excitation of high quality factor resonances in these systems has been a challenge. We excite an order of magnitude higher quality factor resonances in planar terahertz metamaterials that we exploit for ultrasensitive sensing. The low-loss quadrupole and Fano resonances with extremely narrow linewidths enable us to measure the minute spectral shift caused due to the smallest change in the refractive index of the surrounding media. We achieve sensitivity levels of 7.75 × 103 nm/refractive index unit (RIU) with quadrupole and 5.7 × 104 nm/RIU with the Fano resonances which could be further enhanced by using thinner substrates. These findings would facilitate the design of ultrasensitive real time chemical and biomolecular sensors in the fingerprint region of the terahertz regime.

Metamaterials in the Terahertz Regime

Metamaterials are artificial composites that acquire their electromagnetic properties from embedded subwavelength metallic structures. In theory, the effective electromagnetic properties of metamaterials at any frequency can be engineered to take on arbitrary values, including those not appearing in nature. As a result, this new class of materials can dramatically add a degree of freedom to the control of electromagnetic waves. The emergence of metamaterials fortunately coincides with the intense emerging interest in terahertz radiation (T-rays), for which efficient forms of electromagnetic manipulation are sought. Considering the scarcity of naturally existing materials that can control terahertz, metamaterials become ideal substitutes that promise advances in terahertz research. Ultimately, terahertz metamaterials will lead to scientific and technological advantages in a number of areas. This article covers the principles of metamaterials and reviews the latest trends in terahertz metamaterial research from the fabrication and characterization to the implementation.

High-Sensitivity Metamaterial-Inspired Sensor for Microfluidic Dielectric Characterization

A new metamaterial-inspired microwave microfluidic sensor is proposed in this paper. The main part of the device is a microstrip coupled complementary split-ring resonator (CSRR). At resonance, a strong electric field will be established along the sides of CSRR producing a very sensitive area to a change in the nearby dielectric material. A micro-channel is positioned over this area for microfluidic sensing. The liquid sample flowing inside the channel modifies the resonance frequency and peak attenuation of the CSRR resonance. The dielectric properties of the liquid sample can be estimated by establishing an empirical relation between the resonance characteristics and the sample complex permittivity. The designed microfluidic sensor requires a very small amount of sample for testing since the cross-sectional area of the sensing channel is over five orders of magnitude smaller than the square of the wavelength. The proposed microfluidic sensing concept is compatible with lab-on-a-chip platforms owing to its compactness.

T-Ray Sensing and Imaging

T-ray wavelengths are long enough to pass through dry, nonpolar objects opaque at visible wavelengths, but short enough to be manipulated by optical components to form an image. Sensing in this band potentially provides advantages in a number of areas of interest to security and defense such as screening of personnel for hidden objects and the retection of chemical and biological agents. Several private companies are developing smaller, reliable cheaper systems allowing for commercialization and this motivates us to review a number of promising applications within this paper. While there are a number of challenges to be overcome there is little doubt that T-ray technology will play a significant role in the near future for advancement of security, public health, and defense.

Dielectric resonator nanoantennas at visible frequencies

Drawing inspiration from radio-frequency technologies, we propose a realization of nano-scale optical dielectric resonator antennas (DRAs) functioning in their fundamental mode. These DRAs operate via displacement current in a low-loss high-permittivity dielectric, resulting in reduced energy dissipation in the resonators. The designed nonuniform planar DRA array on a metallic plane imparts a sequence of phase shifts across the wavefront to create beam deflection off the direction of specular reflection. The realized array clearly demonstrates beam deflection at 633 nm. Despite the loss introduced by field interaction with the metal substrate, the proposed low-loss resonator concept is a first step towards nanoantennas with enhanced efficiency. The compact planar structure and technologically relevant materials promise monolithic circuit integration of DRAs.

Flexible metasurfaces and metamaterials: A review of materials and fabrication processes at micro- and nano-scales

The ability to bend, stretch, and roll metamaterial devices on flexible substrates adds a new dimension to aspects of manipulating electromagnetic waves and promises a new wave of device designs and functionalities. This work reviews terahertz and optical metamaterials realized on flexible and elastomeric substrates, along with techniques and approaches to lend tunability to the devices. Substrate electromagnetic and mechanical characteristics suitable for flexible metamaterials are summarized for readers, followed by fabrication and processing techniques, and finally novel approaches used to-date to attain tunability. Future directions and emerging areas of interests are identified with these promising to transform metamaterial design and translate metamaterials into practical devices.

Uncertainty in terahertz time-domain spectroscopy measurement

Measurements of optical constants at terahertz—or T-ray—frequencies have been performed extensively using terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS). Spectrometers, together with physical models explaining the interaction between a sample and T-ray radiation, are progressively being developed. Nevertheless, measurement errors in the optical constants, so far, have not been systematically analyzed. This situation calls for a comprehensive analysis of measurement uncertainty in THz-TDS systems. The sources of error existing in a terahertz spectrometer and throughout the parameter estimation process are identified. The analysis herein quantifies the impact of each source on the output optical constants. The resulting analytical model is evaluated against experimental THz-TDS data.

Mechanically tunable terahertz metamaterials

Electromagnetic device design and flexible electronics fabrication are combined to demonstrate mechanically tunable metamaterials operating at terahertz frequencies. Each metamaterial comprises a planar array of resonators on a highly elastic polydimethylsiloxane substrate. The resonance of the metamaterials is controllable through substrate deformation. Applying a stretching force to the substrate changes the inter-cell capacitance and hence the resonance frequency of the resonators. In the experiment, greater than 8% of the tuning range is achieved with good repeatability over several stretching-relaxing cycles. This study promises applications in remote strain sensing and other controllable metamaterial-based devices.

Mechanically Tunable Dielectric Resonator Metasurfaces at Visible Frequencies.

Devices that manipulate light represent the future of information processing. Flat optics and structures with subwavelength periodic features (metasurfaces) provide compact and efficient solutions. The key bottleneck is efficiency, and replacing metallic resonators with dielectric resonators has been shown to significantly enhance performance. To extend the functionalities of dielectric metasurfaces to real-world optical applications, the ability to tune their properties becomes important. In this article, we present a mechanically tunable all-dielectric metasurface. This is composed of an array of dielectric resonators embedded in an elastomeric matrix. The optical response of the structure under a uniaxial strain is analyzed by mechanical-electromagnetic co-simulations. It is experimentally demonstrated that the metasurface exhibits remarkable resonance shifts. Analysis using a Lagrangian model reveals that strain modulates the near-field mutual interaction between resonant dielectric elements. The ability to control and alter inter-resonator coupling will position dielectric metasurfaces as functional elements of reconfigurable optical devices.

Experimental demonstration of reflectarray antennas at terahertz frequencies.

Reflectarrays composed of resonant microstrip gold patches on a dielectric substrate are demonstrated for operation at te rahertz frequencies. Based on the relation between the patch size and the reflectio n phase, a progressive phase distribution is implemented on the patch rray to create a reflector able to deflect an incident beam towards a predefine a gle off the specular direction. In order to confirm the validity of th e design, a set of reflectarrays each with periodically distributed 360 ×360 patch elements are fabricated and measured. The experimental results obta ined through terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) show that up to n early 80% of the incident amplitude is deflected into the desired directi on at an operation frequency close to 1 THz. The radiation patterns of the reflec tarray in TM and TE polarizations are also obtained at different frequen cies. This work presents an attractive concept for developing components a ble to efficiently manipulate terahertz radiation for emerging terahertz com munications. OCIS codes:(300.6495) Spectroscopy, terahertz; (110.5100) Phased-a rray imaging systems; (240.6645) Surface differential reflectance. References and links 1. D. G. Berry, R. G. Malech, and W. A. Kennedy, “The reflectarr ay antenna,” IEEE Trans. Antennas Propag. 11, 645–651 (1963). 2. J. Huang and J. Encinar, Reflectarray Antenna . Wiley-IEEE Press, 2008. 3. J. P. Montgomery, “A microstrip reflectarray antenna elem ent,” Antenna Applications Symposium, University of Illinois (1978). 4. D. M. Pozar and T. A. Metzler, “Analysis of a reflectarray an tenna using microstrip patches of variable size,” Electron. Lett.29,657–658 (1993). 5. D. C. Chang and M. C. Huang, “Multiple-polarization micro strip reflectarray antenna with high efficiency and low cross-polarization,” IEEE Trans. Antennas Propag. 43,829–834 (1995). 6. J. P. 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Antennas Propag., 1, 289–293 (2007).Reflectarrays composed of resonant microstrip gold patches on a dielectric substrate are demonstrated for operation at terahertz frequencies. Based on the relation between the patch size and the reflection phase, a progressive phase distribution is implemented on the patch array to create a reflector able to deflect an incident beam towards a predefined angle off the specular direction. In order to confirm the validity of the design, a set of reflectarrays each with periodically distributed 360 × 360 patch elements are fabricated and measured. The experimental results obtained through terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) show that up to nearly 80% of the incident amplitude is deflected into the desired direction at an operation frequency close to 1 THz. The radiation patterns of the reflectarray in TM and TE polarizations are also obtained at different frequencies. This work presents an attractive concept for developing components able to efficiently manipulate terahertz radiation for emerging terahertz communications.