Reconfigurable terahertz switch using flexible L-shaped metamaterial

The design of a reconfigurable terahertz (THz) switch by using flexible L-shaped metamaterial (FLM), which is composed of dual-layer L-shaped metamaterials on polydimethylsiloxane substrate, which has three resonances at 0.57, 1.05, and 1.52 THz, is presented. By stretching the FLM along the x-axis direction, the transmission intensity is increased gradually at the transverse electric mode (TE) and reduced at the transverse magnetic (TM) mode, respectively. Reversely, by stretching the FLM along the y-axis direction, the transmission intensity is reduced gradually at the TE mode and increased at the TM mode, respectively. These electromagnetic responses of FLM provide the optical-logic behaviors with programmable characteristics by stretching FLM at different polarized light. It indicates that the proposed FLM could be used for the dual/triple-band switching, polarization switching, and programmable switching applications.