Magnetic wire: transverse magnetism in a one-dimensional plasmonic system

Area of Science:

• Metamaterials and Plasmonics
• Terahertz (THz) Technology
• Nanophotonics

Background:

• Coupled plasmonic nanostructures enable unique electromagnetic responses.
• Metasurfaces offer tailored control over light-matter interactions at the nanoscale.
• Distinguishing and controlling electric and magnetic responses in coupled systems is crucial for advanced applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To experimentally demonstrate a coupled, cut-wire pair metasurface operating at terahertz frequencies.
• To investigate the excitation of transverse magnetic dipole resonances in plasmonic wires.
• To explore the transformation of electric to magnetic wire behavior and vice-versa within the metasurface.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a coupled, cut-wire pair-based metasurface.
• Experimental characterization of the metasurface's response at terahertz frequencies.
• Analysis of current distributions and electromagnetic interactions within the coupled system.

Main Results:

• Excitation of a dominant transverse magnetic dipole in one plasmonic wire, while the other remained electric.
• Observation of non-radiative current distributions due to strong coupling between electric and magnetic wires.
• Demonstration of asymmetry-induced polymorphic hybridization enabling electric-to-magnetic wire transformation.

Conclusions:

• The coupled, cut-wire metasurface provides a versatile platform for dynamic control of electromagnetic responses.
• The ability to switch between electric and magnetic wire functionalities is achieved through hybridization.
• This research has potential applications in developing next-generation photonic and electrical integrated circuits.