Multi-wavelength voltage-coded metasurface based on indium tin oxide: independently and dynamically controllable...

Area of Science:

• Metasurface technology
• Plasmonics
• Optical engineering

Background:

• Metasurfaces offer miniaturized platforms for advanced optical functionalities.
• Achieving electrical tunability and multi-wavelength operation simultaneously remains a challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a design principle for an electrically tunable, multi-wavelength metasurface with multiple functionalities.
• To demonstrate a compact device integrating four independently controllable channels in the near-infrared (NIR) regime.

Main Methods:

• Integration of four metal-insulator-metal (MIM) inclusions within a unit cell.
• Incorporation of electrically tunable indium tin oxide (ITO) for dynamical phase modulation.
• Utilizing a digital coding strategy with binary bits for biasing configurations.

Main Results:

• Achieved significant phase tunability (up to 285°, 230°, 300°, 280°) across T, O, C, and U optical communication bands.
• Demonstrated independently controlled, decoupled gap plasmon resonators, minimizing channel interference.
• Implemented a meta-array for tunable applications including Airy beam generation, beam splitting, steering, and focusing.

Conclusions:

• The proposed metasurface design enables electrically tunable, multi-functional optical devices with a minimized footprint.
• The integration of ITO and optimized MIM structures provides a robust platform for advanced NIR optical applications.
• This work paves the way for reconfigurable optical systems and integrated photonic circuits.