Simulation, Fabrication and Characterization of THz Metamaterial Absorbers
Summary
This protocol outlines the simulation, fabrication and characterization of THz metamaterial absorbers. Such absorbers, when coupled with an appropriate sensor, have applications in THz imaging and spectroscopy.
Abstract
Metamaterials (MM), artificial materials engineered to have properties that may not be found in nature, have been widely explored since the first theoretical1 and experimental demonstration2 of their unique properties. MMs can provide a highly controllable electromagnetic response, and to date have been demonstrated in every technologically relevant spectral range including the optical3, near IR4, mid IR5 , THz6 , mm-wave7 , microwave8 and radio9 bands. Applications include perfect lenses10, sensors11, telecommunications12, invisibility cloaks13 and filters14,15. We have recently developed single band16, dual band17 and broadband18 THz metamaterial absorber devices capable of greater than 80% absorption at the resonance peak. The concept of a MM absorber is especially important at THz frequencies where it is difficult to find strong frequency selective THz absorbers19. In our MM absorber the THz radiation is absorbed in a thickness of ~ λ/20, overcoming the thickness limitation of traditional quarter wavelength absorbers. MM absorbers naturally lend themselves to THz detection applications, such as thermal sensors, and if integrated with suitable THz sources (e.g. QCLs), could lead to compact, highly sensitive, low cost, real time THz imaging systems.
Introduction
This protocol describes the simulation, fabrication and characterization of single band and broadband THz MM absorbers. The device, shown in Figure 1, consists of a metal cross and a dielectric layer on top of a metal ground plane. The cross-shaped structure is an example of an electric ring resonator (ERR)20,21 and couples strongly to uniform electric fields, but negligibly to a magnetic field. By pairing the ERR with a ground plane, the magnetic component of the incident THz wave induces a current in the sections of the ERR that are parallel to the direction of the E-field. The electric and magnetic response can then be tuned independently and the impedance of the structure matched to free space by varying the geometry of the ERR and the distance between the two metallic elements. As shown in Figure 1(d), the symmetry of the structure results in a polarization insensitive absorption response.
Protocol
Representative Results
Discussion
This protocol describes the simulation, fabrication and characterization of THz metamaterial absorbers. It is essential such sub-wavelength structures are accurately simulated before any effort is committed to costly fabrication procedures. Lumerical FDTD simulations provide information on not only the MM absorption spectrum but also the location of the absorption, essential knowledge to aid placement of a transducer and obtain the maximum response. In addition the optimization algorithm in Lumerical can be implem…
Disclosures
The authors have nothing to disclose.
Acknowledgements
This work is supported by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council grant number EP/I017461/1. We also wish to acknowledge the contribution played by the technical staff of the James Watt Nanofabrication Centre.
Materials
| Name of Reagent/Material | Company | Catalogue Number | Comments |
| Lumerical FDTD | Lumerical | ||
| Silicon wafer | IDB technologies | Single sided polished | |
| Plassys 450 MEB evaporator | Plassys Bestek | ||
| VM651 Primer | Dupont | ||
| PI2545 | Dupont | ||
| Methyl Isobutyl Ketone | Sigma-Aldrich | ||
| Isopropanol | Sigma-Aldrich | ||
| Plasmaprep5 barrel Asher | Gala Instrumente | ||
| VB6 UHR EWF electron beam writer | Vistec | ||
| Tanner L-Edit | Tanner Inc. | ||
| Layout Beamer | GenISys Inc. | ||
| Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) | Sigma-Aldrich | 293261 Sigma-Aldrich | |
| IFV 66v/s FTIR | Bruker | ||
| Pike 30spec reflection unit | Pike Technologies | ||
| Hg arc lamp | Bruker | ||
| Au mirror | Thor Labs | PF05-03-M01 | |
| Leica INM20 Optical Microscope | Leica microsystems | ||
| 6 mm Mylar Beamsplitter | Bruker |
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