Transmissive terahertz metasurfaces with vanadium dioxide split-rings and grids for switchable asymmetric polarization manipulation

Metasurfaces containing arrays of thermally tunable metal-free (double-)split-ring meta-atoms and metal-free grids made of vanadium dioxide (VO2), a phase-change material can deliver switching between (1) polarization manipulation in transmission mode as well as related asymmetric transmission and (2) other functionalities in the terahertz regime, especially when operation in the transmission mode is needed to be conserved for both phases of VO2. As the meta-atom arrays function as arrays of metallic subwavelength resonators for the metallic phase of VO2, but as transmissive phase screens for the insulator phase of VO2, numerical simulations of double- and triple-array metasurfaces strongly indicate extreme scenarios of functionality switching also when the resulting structure comprises only VO2 meta-atoms and VO2 grids. More switching scenarios are achievable when only one meta-atom array or one grid is made of VO2 components. They are enabled by the efficient coupling of the geometrically identical resonator arrays/grids that are made of the materials that strongly differ in terms of conductivity, i.e. Cu and VO2 in the metallic phase.